GEORGIA Magazine September 2009 issue

®GEMCGEMC

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Special energy report page 16

World War II vetsremember page 18

Higher education guide page 36

Travel Georgia! page 46

Special energy report page 16

World War II vetsremember page 18

Higher education guide page 36

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Flatten your stomachwithout gut-wrenchingexercises.

“HONEY CanHeal WHAT?”

� Frustrated because you can’t lose weight?Forget dieting! Just “fluff” up your foodsinstead and watch the pounds drop off.Pennsylvania State University study.

� Flex your mental muscle and send Alz-heimer’s packing. Simple mental activitiesthat build your brainpower and ward offthe ravages of Alzheimer’s.

� Open up blood vessels narrowed due toheart disease. Relax with this beverage anddecrease your chances of suffering a debili-tating stroke.

� Nature’s insulin controls blood sugar andtype 2 diabetes. What is it? Cinnamon! Ithelps your fat cells recognize and respondto insulin better.

� High blood pressure? You know you haveto limit alcohol and salt, but did you alsoknow certain oranges can cause your bloodpressure medication to build to toxic lev-els? Read about some other hidden dangersand some unusual methods of defense.

What you should nevereat when taking pre-scription drugs.

Clogged arteries couldvirtually disappear whenyou add this to your lifeonce a day.

(By Frank K. Wood)If you want to learn how to use gentle

folk remedies to unleash your body’s heal-ing power instead of resorting to dangerousprescription drugs or risky surgery, youneed The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia: OliveOil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 Other HomeRemedies, an informative new book justreleased to the public by FC&A MedicalPublishing® in Peachtree City, Georgia.

You’ll be amazed by how many inex-pensive, easy, natural cures you can findall around you — in your pantry, garden,garage, and grocery store.

The authors provide many health tipswith full explanations.� A natural way to rejuvenate your veins and

arteries that will have you feeling brand new. � That “spare tire” is doing more than just

slowing you down ... it raises your risk ofmany life-threatening illnesses! Burn it offwithout gut-wrenching sit-ups or gruelingfitness regimens.

� One super vitamin protects your vision,fights infections, keeps skin, bones, and cellshealthy, plus fights heart disease, cancer,memory loss, arthritis, liver disease,Parkinson’s, and complications of diabetes.Are you getting 100%?

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� Nature’s wonder food for your body —once praised by Gandhi. Fights heart dis-ease, high blood pressure, stroke, arthritis,type 2 diabetes, and even protects againstbreast, colon, and prostate cancer!

� Clogged arteries virtually disappear when

you add this to your life every day.� Here’s the secret to naturally block out

calories from foods. Just add this when youeat — and watch the weight melt away.

� It protects your heart, lowers your cho-lesterol, fights cancer, and much more!Researchers take a good look at this “mir-acle” mineral.

� Kills cancer cells dead in their tracks!Duke University study proves this tiny seedpacks a powerful punch!

� Just 2 glasses a day of (you won’t believethis — but it’s true!) lowers your choles-terol — and prevents heart attacks too!

� Trick your body into losing weight! Meltsoff fat safely, naturally, and best yet, easily.

� Give your brain the nutrients it needs fora better memory. Don’t let your brain dete-riorate when you can so easily power it up.

� Discover an antioxidant that’s so powerfulfor your eyes that it fights night blindness,cloudy corneas, and can even successfullytreat an eye disorder that leads to blindness!

� What you should never eat when taking thisprescription drug. This is critical news youwon’t hear from your doctor or pharmacist!

� You can improve your eyesight withoutglasses, without contact lenses, surgery,drugs, or medicine of any kind.

� Tomato juice for high cholesterol? Yes,tomato juice can keep your cholesterol fromoxidizing and attaching to your artery walls.A new study shows how much you need todrink each day.

� Rebuild your joints and relieve arthritispain. Natural ways to help your body repairitself.

� Unclog your arteries with purple grapejuice! Studies show that purple grapes canreduce blood clotting by 91%.

� The amazing healing power of honey. It’snot just a sweetener anymore. Use it tocure these 4 common problems.

Learn about all these natural healingfolk remedies and more. To order a copy,just return this coupon with your name andaddress and a check for $9.99 plus $3.00shipping and handling to: FC&A, Dept.#PF-3035, 103 Clover Green, PeachtreeCity, GA 30269. We will send you a copyof The Folk Remedy Encyclopedia: OliveOil, Vinegar, Honey and 1,001 OtherHome Remedies.

You get a no-time-limit guarantee ofsatisfaction or your money back.

You must cut out and return this couponwith your order. Copies will not be accepted!IMPORTANT — FREE GIFT OFFEREXPIRES OCTOBER 3, 2009

All orders mailed by October 3, 2009,will receive a free gift, Eat to Beat the 27Top Health Problems, guaranteed. Orderright away! ©FC&A 2009

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ON THE COVER:Sen. Johnny Isakson, fifth from left, andSen. Saxby Chambliss, seventh fromleft, pose at the United States Capitolwith 103 delegates sponsored byGeorgia’s electric membership coopera-tives for the 2009 Washington YouthTour. (Photo by Daniel Peck Studios.)

In your hands is one of thealmost 860,000 copies printed for the September GEORGIAMagazine—a record-breaking circulation! It’s also one of ourlargest editions with 68-pluspages, the plus being all the ver-sions produced for our electric co-ops, which can range fromfour-page newsletters to 20-pageannual reports.

This issue includes a specialenergy report on climate-changelegislation and how it can affectyou (see page 16). Be sure yourvoice is heard!

We also pay tribute to a fewWorld War II veterans (see page18). These brave military heroesserved our country well—and werenever arrogant, dismissive or evenderisive about giving their all indefense of our many freedoms.Since large numbers of our“Greatest Generation” are passingon and leaving us, take time toread their words of wisdom andhonor them for their sacrifices.

Speaking of wisdom, howmany times have you actuallytaken advice from someone anddiscovered it was a good thing youdid? We asked our readers to sub-mit their stories on “The bestadvice I ever took”—and we alllearned something! We hope youwill enjoy reading “Words of wis-dom” (see page 26), and takeaway some good advice, too!

Enjoy,

Ann OrowskiEditor

FROM THE EDITOR

Enjoy,

Ann Orowski

5 VIEWPOINTMankind’s oldest and still-untamednemesis

6 PICTURE THIS?Identify this Georgia site for achance to win $25!

7 MAILBOXOur readers respond

8 GEORGIA NEWSKay brothers honored; TCSG student of the year; Veterans’memorial; YHC bachelor’s degrees

10 CALENDARHappenings around the state

14 CURRENTSGEORGIA Magazine’s laptop winner; Lanier Tech’s new program;Leadership Georgia

34A THE 2009 WASHINGTONYOUTH TOURLessons in leadership

46 AROUND GEORGIAThe Westobou Festival 2009 presents performing and visualexcellence in the arts

56 MY GEORGIAI blinked

58 GEORGIA GARDENS“Monsters” in the garden

60 GEORGIA COOKSCulinary learning opportunities in Georgia

66 SNAPSHOTHarvestime!

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5September 2009

M A G A Z I N E

®

www.georgiamagazine.org (800) 544-4362, in Georgia; (770) 270-6950

GEORGIA Magazine, the largest-circulationmonthly magazine in the state, is published byGeorgia Electric Membership Corp. (GEMC),the trade association for Georgia’s 42 con-sumer-owned electric utilities. On average,more than 500,000 members welcome themagazine into their homes each month.Georgia’s not-for-profit electric cooperativesprovide reliable, safe and affordable electricservice to more than 73 percent of the state’sland area serving 4.5 million residents. Formore information, visit www.georgiaemc.com.

EDITOR Ann Orowski, CCCMANAGING EDITOR Jennifer Hewett, CCCASSOCIATE EDITOR Victoria Scharf DeCastroASSISTANT EDITOR Clay NarronPRODUCTION COORDINATOR Steve JacobsSTAFF ASSISTANT Sonya DevereauxEDITORIAL INTERN Andrew Widener

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lynn Coulter, MandyFlynn, Jane F. Garvey, Deborah Geering,Stephanie D. Greene, Byron McCombs, E. Wayne McDaniel, Nan Snipes

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Isaac Crumbly,Chris Johnson, Owen Jones, Byron McCombs,Ann Orowski, Alan Storey, Brewer Turley,Bill Verner, Phillip Vullo

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Laurel George, (404) 541-0628ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Laine Kirby Wood,(770) 289-5700

DESIGNERS Trudie Thibodeaux, Kerstin Weis

SUBSCRIPTIONS Mary Wellman, (770) 270-6981

2009 ADVISORY BOARD Larry Chadwick, KenCook, Greg Crowder, Stacey Fields, RickGaston, Charlie Gatlin, Linda Harris, EmmettHarrod, Linda Jordan, Sandy McClurd, JeffMurphy, Terri Statham, Jere Thorne, JamesWhite

GEORGIA EMC OFFICERS

CHAIRMAN Tim Garrett, Jefferson EnergyVICE CHAIRMAN Neal Talton, Flint EnergiesSEC.-TREASURER Randy Crenshaw, Irwin EMCPRESIDENT/CEO, GEMC A. Paul Wood

georgia Magazine (USPS-473120, ISSN 1061-5822) is published monthly by GeorgiaElectric Membership Corp., P.O. Box 1707,2100 East Exchange Place, Tucker, GA 30085.Periodicals postage paid at Thomaston, GA,and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER:Send address changes to GEORGIA Magazine,P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085. Printed inGeorgia by Quad/Graphics.

Acceptance of advertising by GEORGIA Magazine doesnot imply endorsement by the publisher or Georgia’selectric membership corporations of the product orservices advertised.

GEORGIA Magazine’s LIABILITY FOR ERRORS IN, OROMISSIONS OF, ADVERTISEMENTS, WHETHER IN CON-TRACT OR IN TORT, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TODAMAGES TO THE ADVERTISER’S BUSINESS, SHALL INNO EVENT EXCEED THE AMOUNT OF CHARGES FORTHE ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS OMITTED OR INWHICH THE ERROR OCCURRED.

absolutely free. But there was onecatch: the farmer was required toreturn to the starting point beforesunset or he would forfeit his life.

The farmer agreed to the terms,and as the sun rose the next day, heset out on his journey. By noon hehad covered quite a long stretch buthad plenty of energy, so he steppedoff in another direction. By midafter-noon, with enough stamina and sun-light remaining, he turned his sightstoward another point on the horizon.Finally, by late afternoon, he beganwalking toward the devil who waswaiting patiently.

But the farmer misjudged the dis-tance.

As the sun began to set, thefarmer, not even close to the finishline, began walking faster and faster.Soon he was running with all hisstrength. The sun set just as thefarmer reached the devil. Physicallyexhausted, he fell at the feet of thedevil, and with the last flicker of sun-light, he died. The devil smiled andsaid, “The farmer returned beforesunset, and I have kept my end ofthe bargain. I promised him all theland he could cover in one day, andhe now has all he needs: six feet longand two feet wide.” Of all the viceswith which we are familiar, can therebe any one more difficult to restrainby human nature than greed?

The answer to that question haseluded mankind from the beginningof recorded time. And this is whysucceeding generations likely will beforced, yet again, to deal with the catastrophic effects of old-fashioned,insatiable greed.

ears ago, a wise old man, havinglived through the Great Depres-

sion, often warned me that a similareconomic collapse could happenagain. I usually waved him off with, “Idon’t think so.”

I would remind him thatAmerica now has safeguards in placethat did not exist in 1929, namely theFederal Deposit Insurance Corp.(FDIC) to insure accounts againstbank failure and a U.S. Securities andExchange Commission (SEC) tooversee Wall Street.

On one occasion, he listenedcarefully, paused a moment, and thenwith a voice lowered to a near whis-per, said, “Paul, as long as there isgreed in this world, there will alwaysbe the possibility of another GreatDepression.”

I thought of him many times dur-ing the collapse of the subprime mort-gage market last year. I thought of himagain when Bernie Madoff was sen-tenced to 150 years in prison for oper-ating the world’s largest Ponzi schemefrom his Wall Street headquarters.

It was Madoff’s greed that ledhim to steal more than $50 billionfrom trusting investors. Some reportssay it may have been as much as $65billion! Unbridled greed had con-sumed him.

Russian author Leo Tolstoy, inone of his great short stories (“HowMuch Land Does a Man Need?”),painted an unforgettable picture ofhow the lust for more land cost afarmer his most precious asset. As Irecall the story, the devil offered thefarmer as much land as he could walkaround between sunrise and sunset

GEMC

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BY PAUL WOOD President/CEO, Georgia Electric

Membership Corporation

www.georgiamagazine.org

Mankind’s oldest and still-untamednemesis

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6

Welcome to “Picture this?” a monthly contest where we print a reader’sphoto showing a Georgia place—and you get a chance to guess where the pic-ture was taken!

We will reward the reader whose photo is published—as well as theperson who correctly guesses where it was taken—with $25 each. (If morethan one person guesses correctly, we’ll draw from among all correct answersto determine the winner.) Winners’ names and where the photo was taken willappear in a future issue.

Ready to guess? Send your guess by Sept. 18, 2009, to GEORGIAMagazine, Attn: “Picture this,” P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085, or e-mail [email protected]. Be sure to include your name, address and phonenumber.

Have a photo? Send your original photos of locations that are easy toidentify, but not too prominent (i.e., the Big Chicken in Marietta or StoneMountain) to the address listed above, or you can e-mail 300-dpi photos to usat [email protected] deadline for entries in the November 2009issue is Sept. 18, 2009. Please send photos and guesses in separate envelopes.

Our winners from the July 2009 issue are Vickie Summey of Woodstock,who took the photo, and JoAnn Huff of Dallas, who correctly guessed that thesubject was the iron pour house at Red Top Mountain State Park nearCartersville. Also known as the “Summey casting shed,” it was named after

Francis Marion Summey, the photographer’shusband’s grandfather, one of the miners whoworked in the iron ore mine once in opera-tion there.

JULY

Guess where this is

and you could win $25!

GEORGIA MAGAZINE

GEORGIA MagazineP.O. Box 1707, Tucker GA 30085

(800) 544-4362, in Georgia; (770) [email protected]

M A G SMAGAZINE ASSOCIATION OF THE SOUTHEAST

M A G A Z I N E

®GEMC

Established 1945

Visit us online!There’s more of everything you

love about Georgia … at www.georgiamagazine.org!

Use this month’s password: advice

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH:Letters to the editor: Please include yourname, address and phone number. Letters maybe edited for clarity and space. Please e-mail ormail letters to the address below.

Subscriptions: Contact your electric coopera-tive first; they may send the magazine byrequest. Or, send check or money order for$9.95 (12 issues) or $15.95 (24 issues) toaddress below. You may also call (770) 270-6950 to be billed for subscriptions. Please allow4-6 weeks for first issue.

Change of address: 1) If you have personallysubscribed, mail your address change to theGEMC address below; or 2) if you receive themagazine through your local EMC, please writeor call that office directly.

Back issues: The cost is $2 per copy, prepaid,based on availability. Send check or moneyorder with issue date, quantity requested andreturn address.

Article submissions: Submitted articles orideas for feature stories or regular columns arewelcome for review. Please send “Story Ideas”to the address below.

“My Georgia” submissions: Stories should beno more than 500 words and include a colorphoto of the writer. Photos will be required forpublication. Postal mail (use address below) ore-mail accepted (send to [email protected]). Digital images, 300 dpi, accept-ed. Writers whose stories are published willreceive $100.

“Snapshot” submissions: Please send photos (noprofessional photographer’s shots, please),along with caption information, which shouldinclude the full names of parents of children inphotos, your electric cooperative (if served byone), phone number and full mailing addressto: “Snapshot,” at address below. High-resolu-tion digital (at least 300 dpi) photos, along withrequired information, may be sent to [email protected]. (Photos become theproperty of the magazine.)

GEORGIA Magazine assumes no responsibilityfor unsolicited materials. Manuscripts, photo-graphs and artwork must be accompanied byself-addressed stamped envelopes to bereturned. GEORGIA Magazine does not guaran-tee publication of submissions and reserves theright to edit any material published.

Advertising: Contact Laurel George at (404)541-0628, or Laine Wood, (770) 289-5700, or(800) 544-4362 (in Georgia).


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Speaking the truthKudos to Paul Wood for the arti-

cle “Truths, probabilities, possibilitiesand lies” [see Viewpoint, July 2009,page 5]. How grateful I am for hiscourage to speak the truth regardingthe issues of today.

We cannot continue to focus onthe negative alone—and that is whatevery news broadcast bombards uswith. There is more hope now andmore opportunities for new and dif-ferent avenues than ever before. Wejust need to prepare ourselves anddiligently seek these opportunities tomake them a reality in our lives.

I will be losing my position as alegal assistant for a residential realestate attorney simply because thebusiness has changed and ours was asmall office. But instead of throwingaway 22.5 years of experience, I tookthe initiative to become a certifiedloan officer and processor. I nowhave the opportunity to work frommy home as a contract loan proces-sor. My decision not only helped aGeorgia company with their businessand will keep me off unemployment,but has opened doors I neverdreamed possible. You won’t hear mystory on the evening news.

We can make a difference in thisworld by making a difference in our-selves and then reaching out to every-one we come in contact with. BlessPaul Wood for reaching out to each of us in GEORGIA Magazine and en-couraging us to be responsible forwhat we interpret as the truth in ourlives. We can make a positive differ-ence if we but have the courage to try.

—Diane Walker,Woodstock

7September 2009

We welcome your letters. See page 6for submission information.

Look forward to the magazineI have been a subscriber to your

magazine for years, and I always lookforward to receiving your magazinein my mailbox.

I have especially enjoyed thecooking articles and recipes, andthe magazine manages to deliver adifferent culinary experience everyissue. You are doing a great job!

—Kitty Fortanbary, Marietta

Thank you!Thank you for your support of all

farmers markets in Georgia. [See“Marching to market,” May 2009,page 18.] The May edition was great!

—Tom L. Neville, senior marketmanager, Georgia Department

of Agriculture, Augusta StateFarmers Market, Augusta

Tybee Island’s treasuresThanks for your great article

about Jane Coslick [see “Cottage mag-ic,” August 2009, page 20]. The hous-es she has renovated are true gems.

Tybee Island is a wonderfulbeach, and being voted as the health-iest beach in America is just one morereason to visit it!

—Nancy Bain, Washington

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GEORGIA MAGAZINE


C o t t a g e m a g i cHow one Georgian transforms Tybee Island ‘dumps’ into ‘darlings’ BY MARGIE FISHMAN

Top left: Contractor, designer and restoration expert JaneCoslick has a vivid imagination when it comes to salvagingand enlivening Tybee Island beach cottages, many of whichwere slated for demolition. At top: The Fish Camp cottage,once a rickety fishing shack, now exudes a fun, beachy aura.At left: 99 Steps to the Beach maintains its cottage feelingbut now is light and bright with Coslick’s simple colorpalette. Above: Renovated Horse Pen Creek Cottage is flushwith colorful accents against white walls.

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8 GEORGIA MAGAZINE

The Georgia HumanitiesCouncil held its 24th AnnualGovernor’s Awards in theHumanities on May 7 at theOld Georgia Railroad FreightDepot in downtown Atlanta.This year, the following 10recipients were honored:Michael F. Adams, Brenda S.Banks, Martine W. Brownley,Caroline Crittenden, KarenHuebner, Paul M. Pressly,Mary E. Stakes, KathleenThompson, the GeorgiaArchives and Terry Kay.

In 2001, Terry Kay’sbrother, John Kay receivedthe Governor’s Award in theHumanities along withFrances Evans for their workestablishing the Institute forContinued Learning (ICL) atYoung Harris College (YHC).John and Terry now hold thedistinction of being the onlytwo siblings to both receive the pres-tigious award in its 24-year history.

Raised on a 40-acre farm nearRoyston, the Kay brothers and theirother 10 siblings were well acquaint-ed with the hard work that accompa-nied mule farmers raising cotton,corn, wheat and oats.

John, a former United Methodistminister, retired from the NorthGeorgia Conference in 2001 after 39 years. He served as pastor ofSharp Memorial UMC on the cam-pus of YHC from 1967 to 1980. Hetaught courses in religion and phi-losophy at YHC from 1967 to 2001,serving on the faculty full timebeginning in 1980.

Terry, a 2006 inductee into theGeorgia Writers Hall of Fame and the2007 recipient of the Stanley W.Lindberg Award, has been a sportswriter and film/theater reviewer (TheAtlanta Journal-Constitution), a pub-lic relations executive and a corpo-rate officer. He is the author of 10published novels, most recently,

COMPILED BY JENNIFER J. HEWETT

• Music appreciation. Inductees into theGeorgia Music Hall of Fame this year includeCollective Soul, Third Day, Peter Conlon,Bryan-Michael Cox, John L. Carson, RoyHamilton, Berry Oakley and Shakir Stewart.Georgia Public Broadcasting will carry thelive broadcast of the ceremonies, held Sept.19 at the Georgia World Congress Center inAtlanta. Learn more about the Georgia MusicHall of Fame at www.georgiamusic.org.

• Hot stuff! Tabasco is looking for uniquecommunity cookbooks that were producedby nonprofit organizations in 2008 and2009 for its 20th Tabasco CommunityCookbook Awards. More than 250 exception-al cookbooks have been honored to date,and these organizations have been grantednearly $100,000 to benefit local causes andcharitable programs. Apply by Sept. 25. Forrules, visit tabasco.com or call (212) 679-6600, ext. 240.

• Bird-watching opportunities.Georgia’s Colonial Coast Birding and NatureFestival will take place Oct. 8-12 with fieldtrips through the woodlands, old rice fields,tidal marshes and freshwater wetlands ofthe Georgia coast. The registration deadlinefor this bird-watching excursion is Sept. 29;early registration begins Aug. 29 and canbe done at www.coastalgeorgiabirding.org.

Georgia glimpses

➤“The Book of Marie,” released in thefall of 2007.

Terry’s first novel, published in1976, “The Year the Lights CameOn,” is a story inspired by his mem-ory of electricity arriving to his isolat-ed childhood world. Portrayingvividly the impact electricity had onrural communities has endeared himto electric cooperatives throughoutGeorgia, where he also worked inpublic relations for Tucker-basedOglethorpe Power Corp., the nation’slargest power supply cooperativeproviding electricity to 4.1 millionGeorgians.

Three of Terry’s novels havebeen produced as Hallmark Hall ofFame movies—“To Dance with theWhite Dog,” “The Runaway” and“The Valley of Light.” He has twicereceived the Georgia Author of theYear award and in 2004 was present-ed with the Townsend Prize, consid-ered the state’s top literary award.

—Byron McCombs, Blue Ridge Mountain EMC


Brothers John Kay, left, and Terry Kay catch up for amoment outside the Depot in Atlanta before the 2009Governor’s Awards in the Humanities ceremony.

Kay Brothers are both winners

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www.georgiamagazine.orgSeptember 2009

They served their country inthe Indian War, Civil War, WorldWar I, World War II, Korean War,Vietnam War, Gulf War, DesertStorm, Iraq and Afghanistan—andnow veterans of these conflictsare being honored at the Walk ofMemories, located at AmericanLegion Post 201 in Alpharetta.

Comprised of more than7,600 bricks inscribed with thenames of veterans, family andfriends of those who served in theArmy, Navy, Marines, Air Forceand Coast Guard, the Walk ofMemories honors veterans includ-ing the more than 700 Georgia sol-diers killed in action in Korea, as wellas Medal of Honor recipients. Severalmemorials and pieces of equipmentare also on display on the 13 acres atthe American Legion post, includingan M60 tank, UH-1 Huey helicopterand Navy gun from a World War II

Liberty Ship.An additional 7,000 commemora-

tive bricks are available for purchaseto honor those serving and their fam-ilies. For more information, contactJ.R. Wages at (770) 442-0423 or theAmerican Legion Post 201 at (770)475-9023.

Walk of Memories honors veterans

Young Harris College (YHC) has beenaccredited as a four-year institution and willbegin offering bachelor’s degrees in the fallof this year. The 650 students may nowchoose from majors in English, music, biolo-gy, and business and public policy.

The college, situated in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Young Harris, was foundedin 1886 and is affiliated with the United Methodist Church.

For more information, visit www.yhc.edu.—Andrew Widener

Lank named student of the year

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Michelle Smith Lank, a student inthe early childhood care and educa-tion program at Swainsboro TechnicalCollege, has been selected as theTechnical College System of Georgia’s(TCSG) 2009 student of the year.Chosen from among 146,000 stu-dents, Lank was interviewed by apanel of judges from the state’s gov-ernment, business and industry sec-tors; educational accomplishments,leadership qualities, communityinvolvement and future aspirationswere also considered in determiningthe winner.

For the next year, Lank will trav-el the state representing the TechnicalCollege System of Georgia at confer-ences and events, as well as in meet-ings with the governor, legislators andother state leaders.

The Technical College System ofGeorgia oversees 33 technical collegesthroughout the state. TCSG collegesoffer small classes, hands-on experi-ence and focused instructor attentionin more than 600 programs, includinghealth care, aerospace, agribusiness,life sciences and much more.

YHC to offer four-year degrees

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Homer. Weekend festivitiesinclude dancing, livemusic, food and gamessuch as the moonwalk androck climbing. (706) 677-3510.

Cruise-In at the Square,Sept. 5, downtown,Blairsville. BlairsvilleCruisers invites owners ofclassic vehicles to partici-pate in this first-Saturdaysevent. www.blairsvillecruisers.com. (706) 781-3555.

Labor Day Celebrationand Red Wine Release,Sept. 5-6, Montaluce Win-ery and Estates, Dahlonega.Live music, hayrides and foodand wine. www.montaluce.com. (706) 867-4060.

Mountain Marketplace andHeritage Festival, Sept. 5-6,Mountain Life Museum, Blairs-ville. Come celebrate the area’srich Appalachian heritage andculture. www.unioncountyhistory.org. (706) 745-5493.

Oktoberfest 2009, Sept. 10-13,17, 20, 24-27, Oct. 1-Nov. 1,Helen Festhalle, Helen. Ger-man-style celebration in thisalpine village. www.helenchamber.com. (706) 878-1619.

Dinner and a Movie, Sept. 11,25, Montaluce Winery andEstates, Dahlonega. Come fordinner at Le Vigne and stay fora free movie afterward on theveranda. www.montaluce.com.(706) 867-4060.

Chattahoochee MountainFair, Sept. 11-19, HabershamCounty Fairgrounds, Clarkes-ville. Thirty-fourth annual festi-val features family entertain-ment such as live music and

10 GEORGIA MAGAZINEGEORGIA MAGAZINE10

SEPTEMBER 2009 COMPILED BY ANDREW WIDENER


he 77th annual North Georgia State Fair will take place atJim R. Miller Park in Marietta Sept. 24-Oct. 4. It is the largest

of its kind in metro Atlanta and the second largest in Georgia,attracting nearly 300,000 people from throughout the South.This year’s fair promises to be better than ever, with attractions,concerts and exhibitions to suit anyone’s interests—not to men-tion the Great James H. Drew Exposition, one of the largestcarnival midways in the U.S.

Visitors may enjoy free concerts guaranteed to happen,rain or shine, thanks to a covered arena. Headlining perform-ers include Georgia-born, singer-songwriter Luke Bryan, coun-try musician Joe Nichols and contemporary Christian bandNewsboys with special guests Seventh Day Slumber and Breadof Stone.

Returning this year are crowd favorites like the High DivesShow, Keith King BMX Bike Show, Oscar the Robot, BrianRuth the Chainsaw Master and Frisco Brothers Petting Zoo andPony Rides. There are also new attractions like Frisco BrothersTiger Encounter and Elephant Show, an exotic education forthe whole family, and Skin & Bones & Co., a comedy circus.

Come enjoy all of this, plus local square dancers, blue-rib-bon competitions, flower shows and great food.

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crafts. www.chattahoocheemountainfair.org. (706) 768-6890.

Sage Market, Sept. 12, down-town, Toccoa. Local farmersand crafters sell handmade andhomegrown items. www.mainstreettoccoa.com. (706) 282-3309.

Bluegrass Festival, Sept. 25-26, downtown, Blairsville. TheSoutheastern Bluegrass Asso-ciation hosts this event, whichincludes raffles, live music ontwo stages and free musicworkshops. www.unioncountyhistory.org. (706) 745-5493.

15th Annual Foxfire FallHeritage Festival, Sept. 26,Dillard City Hall, Dillard.Traditional trades and skills,regional crafts and pottery,huge raffle, kids games andlive bluegrass and gospelmusic. www.foxfire.org. (706)746-5828.

Arts in hARTwell, Sept. 26,downtown, Hartwell. Festivalfeatures juried fine arts and

North Georgia State Fair, Sept. 24-Oct. 4, Jim R. Miller Park,Marietta. Games, live entertainment, competitions and more. www.northgeorgiastatefair.com. (770) 423-1330.

HISTORIC HIGH COUNTRY

Pine Log Arts and Crafts Fair,Sept. 12-13, Pine Log UMCcampground, Rydal. More than60 arts and crafts vendors dis-play their goods at this historiccampground, also featuringentertainment and pit-cookedbarbecue. www.pinelogumc.org.(770) 607-5350.

10th Annual Wildlife &Nature Art Festival and Expo,Sept. 19-20, City Park, BlueRidge. Celebrate art and adven-ture with artists from the South-east and their outdoors-themedwork. www.brmaa.net. (706)632-2144.

Bluegrass Bands and HelpingHands, Sept. 26, Heritage PointPark, Dalton. Area bluegrass mu-sicians perform to benefit DOC-UP, a local charity that helpsfamilies hit hard by unemploy-ment. www.bluegrassbandshelpinghands.com. (706) 624-4829.

Riverfest Arts & Crafts Fes-tival, Sept. 26-27, Boling Park,Canton. The Service League ofCherokee County sponsors thisoutdoor family event. www.riverfest.org.

NORTHEAST GEORGIAMOUNTAINS

Banks County Holiday Festi-val, Sept. 4-6, downtown,

Petit Le Mans, Sept. 23-26, Road Atlanta, Braselton.This famous1,000-mile, 10-hour race returns to Georgia. www.roadatlanta.com.(800) 849-7223.

Apple Pickin’ Jubilee, Sept. 12-13, 19-20,26-27, Oct. 2-4, 9-11, 16-18, 23-25, HillcrestOrchards, Ellijay. Animal rides, petting farm,wagon rides, ice cream parlor, food and liveentertainment. www.hillcrestorchards.net. (706)273-3838.

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http://www.unioncountyhistory.org

Zebulon. Cele-brate life on thefarm with muleplowing, demon-strations, crafts,wagon rides, livemusic and enter-tainment. www.pikeheritage.com.(770) 856-2144.

Wildlife Adven-ture Workshop,Sept. 12, OldSouth Farm Museum, Wood-land. A discussionon predators anda course on taxi-dermy and trap-ping. www.oldsouthfarm.com.(706) 975-9136.

Boss Hog BBQ,Sept. 26, down-town, Thomaston.Compete for thebest ribs, pulledpork and Bruns-wick stew. www.cityofthomaston.com. (706) 647-4242.

Family Fun Day, Sept. 26,Upatoi United MethodistChurch, Upatoi. Barbecue,silent auction, arts and crafts,and a sweet shop. www.upatoiumc.com. (706) 561-0433.

HISTORIC HEARTLAND

7th Annual Perspectives:2009 Georgia Pottery Invi-tational, Aug. 29-Sept. 16,OCAF Art Center, Watkinsville.Showcase of contemporarypottery. www.myocaf.com.(706) 769-4565.

Artful Harvest Art Show,Sept. 4-29, Southern HeartlandArt Gallery, Covington. TheSouthern Heartland Art Guildfeatures Georgia artists in theirannual exhibition. www.southernheartlandart.com. (770)377-6455.

Peach Cobbler MennoniteRelief Auction, Sept. 11-12,Georgia National Fairgrounds,Perry. Quilt auction, arts andcrafts sale, children’s activities,food and music. www.peachcobblersale.org. (478) 957-2132.

Earth, Air & Water, Sept. 11-Oct. 31, Madison-MorganCultural Center, Madison.Philanthropist, collector andworld traveler Lucinda Bunnenshows her photographs from

the Galapagos Islands. www.mmcc-arts.org. (706) 342-4743.

Tour of Bungalows andCottages, Sept. 18-19, Madi-son. Guests will see uniquehouses, some never beforeopen to the public. www.friendsofheritagehall.org. (706)342-9627.

Southern Circuit FilmSeries, Sept. 21, Madison-Morgan Cultural Center. Ascreening of the independentfilm “Automorphosis” as partof the Tour of IndependentFilmmakers. www.mmcc-arts.org. (706) 342-4743.

Georgia Golden Olympics,Sept. 23-26, Warner Robins.Amateur athletes 50 and overcompete in a variety of sportsincluding swimming, bowling,golf and tennis. www.georgiagoldenolympics.org. (770) 867-3603.

Rockdale County Fair, Sept.25-Oct. 4, Georgia Interna-tional Horse Park, Conyers.Live music, children’s gamesand activities, food and ven-dors. www.rockdalecountyfair.com. (404) 387-6296.

(Continued on page 12)

www.georgiamagazine.org 11September 2009

enactments and a wide varietyof music. www.newnan.com.(770) 253-2011.

“Jake’s Women,” Sept. 11-26,Stellar Cellar at St. James Epis-copal Church, Marietta. ThePolk Street Players present NeilSimon’s hilarious and touchingplay about relationships. www.stjamesmarietta.com. (770) 218-9669.

Paws-and-Effect Dog ShowFundraiser, Sept. 12, DeerLick Dog Park, Douglasville.S.H.A.R.E. Inc. hosts this bene-fit for domestic violence vic-tims. (770) 370-2272.

Old Milton Country Fair,Sept. 12-13, Milton Center atLog Cabin, Alpharetta. Stepback in time with this family-friendly, fun-filled festival.www.oldmiltoncountryfair.com.(770) 653-6821.

Gwinnett County Fair, Sept.17-27, Gwinnett CountyFairgrounds, Lawrenceville.Family entertainment, rides,games and agricultural exhibi-tions. www.gwinnettcountyfair.com. (770) 963-6522.

Art Show and Book Signing,Sept. 25-26, Vinings Art Gallery,Smyrna. French painter JaninePol returns to show her workand sign her new book. www.viningsgallery.com. (404) 794-7762.

Castleberry Hill Loft Tour,Sept. 26-27, Atlanta. This his-toric neighborhood invitesguests to tour the lofts andexplore its unique galleries,boutiques and restaurants.www.castleberryhill.org. (404)614-0006.

Lecture by RichardRusso, Sept. 30, MargaretMitchell House, Atlanta.Pulitzer Prize-winningauthor discusses his newbook. www.gwtw.org.(404) 814-4150.

PRESIDENTIALPATHWAYS

Labor Day Weekend onthe Lake, Sept. 5-7,Florence Marina StatePark, Florence. Holidayweekend features reptileprograms and games.www.gastateparks.org.(229) 838-4706.

Farm Heritage Day,Sept. 12, Chestnut Oak,

Happenings around Georgia

Regions are determined by the Georgia Departmentof Economic Development. See their Web calendar atwww.exploregeorgia.org for additional events.

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heritage crafts. www.hart-chamber.org. (706) 376-0188.

METRO ATLANTA

AJC Decatur Book Festival,Sept. 4-6, downtown, Decatur.Largest independent book festi-val in the country features awide array of writers. www.decaturbookfestival.com. (404)625-5448.

Downtown AlpharettaFarmer’s Market, Sept. 5, 12,19, 26, Alpharetta. Fruits andvegetables, flowers and plantsand home goods. www.alpharettafarmersmarket.com.(404) 402-5389.

Powers’ Crossroads CountryFair and Art Festival, Sept. 5-7, Coweta County. Featuringover 250 artists and craftsmen,Southern food, historical re-

Georgia Celebrates Quilts, Sept. 18-20, CobbCounty Civic Center, Marietta.The East CobbQuilters Guild presents a judged competition fea-turing more than 400 Georgia quilters along withvendors, demonstrations and raffle items.www.ecqg.com. (404) 843-1040.

A Blue Ribbon Affair Arts, Crafts &Classic Car Show, Sept. 19-20, Jim R.Miller Park, Marietta. More than 200Southeastern artists, local groups and per-formers, festive foods and antique cars.(770) 423-1330.

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CLASSIC SOUTH

Preserving History: Behindthe Scenes, Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26,Augusta Museum of History.The museum unveils the pro-cesses of preserving history.www.augustamuseum.org. (706)722-8454.

Cruise-In on the Square, Sept.12, downtown, Washington.Antique cars and trucks cruisein with music by TommyLandrum’s Cruzin’ to the Oldies.www.memorylanecruisersga.org. (706) 678-2013.

Southern Naturalists: Audu-bon in Context, Sept. 14-Dec.12, Hickory Hill, Thomson.Exhibition sponsored by theUniversity of South CarolinaLibrary displays folios of earlySouthern naturalists and artists.www.hickoryhill.org. (706) 595-7777.

Westobou Arts Festival, Sept.17-26, Augusta. Sweeping cul-tural event features dance,music, theater, visual arts and aconcert by the Blind Boys ofAlabama. www.westoboufestival.com. (706) 755-2878.

Arts in the Heart of AugustaFestival, Sept. 18-20, down-town, Augusta. Fine arts andcrafts market and special con-cert by Shawn Mullins. www.artsintheheart.com. (706) 826-4702.

Farm Festival, Sept. 19,Waynesboro. The WaynesboroShrine Club sponsors this an-nual event featuring food, abarbecue cook-off, a paradeand family entertainment. (706)799-2770.

PLANTATION TRACE

Sundays at Four Concert,Sept. 13, Thomasville CulturalCenter, Thomasville. “TheSounds of Sondheim” is theperformance in this monthlyconcert series. www.thomas.edu/actu. (229) 226-6964.

“A Scandalous Affair,” Sept.19, Thomasville Cultural Center,Thomasville. An off-season per-formance of this well-knownmusical. www.tefconcerts.com.(229) 226-6964.

“Ribbons and Strings: AnEvening of Music, Dance andArt,” Sept. 24, ThomasvilleCultural Center, Thomasville.www.sgpa.us. (229) 278-2787.

(Continued from page 11) Tifton Truck and TractorPull, Sept. 25-26, AmericanLegion Fairgrounds, Tifton.Trucks and tractor pullers compete for points and prizemoney. www.tiftontourism.com/festivals. (229) 386-0216.

MAGNOLIA MIDLANDS

“On Dragonfly Wings,” Sept.2-5, Georgia Southern Uni-versity Performing Arts Center,Statesboro. The life-affirmingplay will be presented withelectrifying special effects.www.georgiasouthern.edu.(912) 478-7999.

14th Annual Lumber CityFarm Day Festival, Sept. 11-13, Main St., Lumber City. Artsand crafts, food, parade, dogshow, fun run and 5K race,amusement park and streetdance. (912) 363-4942.

Gopher Fun Run-Walk, Sept.12, General Coffee State Park,Nicholls. Children ages 6-12can run or walk throughgopher turtle habitats. www.gastateparks.org. (912) 383-7332.

Gene Watson in Concert,Sept. 19, Old Opera House,Hawkinsville. Gene Watsonperforms classic country songs.

www.hawkinsvilleoperahouse.com. (478) 783-1884.

Nicholls Founders Day, Sept.25-26, South Georgia YouthPark, Douglas. Street dance,pageant, arts and crafts, T-shirtsand meat goat classic show.(912) 345-5290; (912) 345-2421.

Wiregrass Festival, Sept. 26-27, courthousesquare, Reidsville.Parade, car, truckand motorcycleshow, entertainment,Civil War re-enact-ments, and arts andcrafts. www.wiregrassfestival.com.(912) 557-4626.

GEORGIA’SCOAST

Featured ArtExhibit, Sept. 1-25,Old Jail Art Centerand Museum, Darien.The Figurative ArtWork of CarlFougerousse includesoil paintings, draw-ings and stainedglass. www.mcintoshartassociation.com. (912) 437-7711.

27th Annual LaborDay WeekendCatfish Festival,Sept. 5-7, Kingsland.Southern fried andCajun catfish, aparade, free concerts,arts and craftsbooths, antiques and

12 GEORGIA MAGAZINEGEORGIA MAGAZINE12 www.georgiamagazine.org

Visit georgiamagazine.org formore listings or to post an event.Event details subject to change;please verify before attending.

Events for the Decemberissue are due by Oct. 1.

E-mail [email protected].

collectibles, a 5K run and aclassic car and tractor exhibi-tion. www.visitkingsland.com.(912) 729-5999.

“Moving Midway,” Sept. 10,Ritz Theatre, Brunswick. Ac-claimed documentary about themoving of an historic NorthCarolina plantation. www.goldenislesarts.org. (912) 262-6934.

Bluegrass Music Convention,Sept. 10-12, Twin Oaks Park,Hoboken. Bring your ownlawn chairs to this event’s 36thyear with performances by sev-eral bluegrass acts. www.twinoakspark.com. (912) 458-2365.

Wild Georgia ShrimpFestival, Sept. 18-20, historicdistrict, Jekyll Island. A festivalsurrounding coastal cuisine andthe delicious combination ofshrimp and grits. www.jekyllisland.com/shrimpandgrits. (877)453-5955.

Jazz in the Park, Sept. 20,lighthouse lawn, St. SimonsIsland. Savannah bass guitaristBen Tucker and his ensembleplay under the stars. www.goldenislesarts.org. (912) 262-6934.

SlowExposures, Sept. 18-27, Candler Field Museum,Williamson.Annual fine arts photography exhibition captures rural South’s charac-ter. www.slowexposures.org. (770) 567-3600.

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Through Nature’s Lens, Sept. 4-26, HistoricRitz Theatre, Brunswick. Exhibition of coastalresident Christy Trowbridge’s paintings ofSapelo Island’s natural beauty. www.goldenislesarts.org. (912) 262-6934.

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14 GEORGIA MAGAZINE

COMPILED BY VICTORIA SCHARF DECASTRO

Jackson EMC’s Doug Smith, far right, a district engineering supervisor at the Jefferson-based co-op, teaches Electrical Utility Technology at Lanier Tech. Here, Smith and his students visit a power facility.

Two Jackson EMC employeesteach classes in the program. Doug

Smith teaches courses in substa-tion and distribution, and KenBrand teaches Supervisory Controland Data Acquisition (SCADA).Students also take field trips toJackson EMC in Jefferson to seetheir classwork in action.

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Seeking a high-energy career?


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Last January, Greg Crowder, left, vice president ofmarketing and administration at Sumter Electric Mem-bership Corp. (EMC) in Americus, presented JimboHorne, a student at Schley County High School inEllaville, with a new laptop computer. The award tookplace at Sumter EMC headquarters in Americus. Hornewas the winner of GEORGIA Magazine’s 2008 statewidelaptop contest.

GEORGIA Magazine created the annual contest toencourage students to fill out and send in the readerinquiry coupon included in the magazine’s SeptemberHigher Education Guide section. The coupon enablesstudents to request information on specific schools andallows them to enter the laptop giveaway. Find thisyear’s coupon on page 45.

GEORGIA Magazineawards laptop to studentGEORGIA Magazineawards laptop to student

The program—just two yearsold (it graduates its first students thisacademic year)—provides a solidsteppingstone to a rewarding career.“The power industry has a retentionrate of about 97 percent,” Mathesonsays. “Once people get hired, they stay.”

—Deborah Geering

For more information on Lanier Tech, call(770) 531-6300 or visit www.laniertech.edu. Orto read about educational opportunities avail-able through Georgia’s colleges and universities,see “A college in every corner,” page 36.

Lanier Technical College’s Oak-wood campus offers a new programdesigned for launching a career in theelectric utility industry.

The associate degree (or diplo-ma) program in electrical utilitytechnology trains students to workas technicians at electrical utilities.Graduates qualify for employmentas engineering technicians, engi-neering representatives, substationmaintenance technicians or electri-cians, meter technicians or generator technicians.

The program comes at a criticaltime when the electrical utility indus-try is eagerly seeking a new crop ofachievers to fill important positions.“We need to get the best and bright-est, because half of the work force isgetting ready to retire,” says NeilMatheson Jr., lead instructor for elec-trical utility technology and electron-ics technology at Lanier TechnicalCollege’s Oakwood campus. “Weneed to get some new blood in here.”

14-15 cur_SW_0909 8/12/09 06:34 PM

September 2009 15www.georgiamagazine.org

H.G. “Pat” Pattillo, a LeadershipGeorgia founding father (and a pio-neer of eco-tourism in the Guanacasteregion) who has developed theHacienda Pinilla residential communi-ty, the site of the June program, wasoverwhelmed that such a large LGAcontingent traveled to Costa Rica tolearn about innovative approaches tocommon challenges.

Attendees heard a moving storywhen Pattillo spoke of his familyfarm in Rockdale County getting elec-tricity for the first time fromCovington-based Snapping ShoalsEMC when he was a young boy. LGAattendees then learned that almost 70years later (2007) through NRECA’sInternational Programs Division,another Georgia EMC helped bringelectricity to one of the 40 CostaRican schools that Pattillo’s founda-tion sponsors in Guanacaste.

That cooperative is Coweta-Fayette EMC (CFEMC), and CFEMCPresident/CEO Tony Sinclair spoke ofCFEMC’s close connection to CostaRican cooperative Coopeguanacaste,which serves electricity to theGuanacaste region and in particularto Hacienda Pinilla. Through this

association, CFEMC has sharedtechnical expertise with Co-opeguanacaste, and personnelhave worked alongside theirlinemen to help construct powerlines without the benefit of mod-ern conveniences like bucket

trucks. The National RuralElectric Cooperative Associa-tion’s International ProgramsDivision coordinates theseprograms and the utilizationof donated or outdated materials and equipmentworldwide. Here in Georgia,electric cooperatives andvendors host an annual char-itable fund-raiser in April,Take Aim At Progress (www.takeaimatprogress.com),

Leadership Georgia highlights EMC international programs

which offsets travel and lodgingexpenses for the linemen who vol-unteer. In recent years, linemenfrom Flint, Grady, GreyStone, Hab-ersham, Irwin, Jackson and WaltonEMCs have worked in other areas ofCosta Rica and Guatemala.

In addition to showcasing thesuccess of the international program,the LGA program included segmentson Costa Rican initiatives of both theUniversity of Georgia and theGeorgia Institute of Technology, andsustainable living practices beingdeveloped on EARTH University’ssatellite campus in the region.

Participants included dignitariesfrom Gov. Sonny Perdue’s staff,Georgia Dept. of Economic Devel-opment, state legislators and judges,the Board of Regents and congres-sional staff, among many other com-munity and business leaders.

Leadership Georgia is one of thenation’s oldest and most successfulleadership programs for business,civic and community leaders.

Leadership Georgia’s Heath-er Teilhet visits students atVillereal School in Costa Rica. Inset: Pat Pattillo, shownhere with his wife, Betty, is a founder of LeadershipGeorgia, one of the most successful state leadershipprograms in the country.

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Linemen from Coweta-Fayette EMC andother Georgia cooperatives worked along-side Coopeguanacaste lineman to bringelectricity to remote areas of Costa Rica.

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Georgia’s electric membershipcorporations (EMCs) recently playeda prominent role in a leadership pro-gram for 250 Georgia leaders, show-casing EMC ties to a sister coopera-tive in Central America.

Lending his expertise to the pro-gram, which focused on education,energy and environmental initiatives,Tucker-based Oglethorpe PowerCorp. President/CEO Tom Smith dis-cussed energy challenges and oppor-tunities facing Georgia and the effortsof electric utilities to meet growingenergy demand.

Georgia EMC Vice President BillVerner also contributed significantlyto Leadership Georgia’s (LGA) firstinternational program held in June inCosta Rica. “It was a rare opportuni-ty to showcase electric cooperativesin a part of the world where manyareas remain today like rural Americawas before electricity,” says Verner.

According to Verner, a programchair, the locale served as a timelyreminder that developed and devel-oping countries are still desperate forelectrification in rural areas to fosterimproved agricultural practices and abetter quality of life.

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16 GEORGIA MAGAZINE

How did the U.S. House ofRepresentatives vote on H.R.2454, or ACES?

ACES passed on June 26 by anarrow margin of 219 to 212; 218votes were needed to pass. Ourstate’s congressional House delega-tion voted as follows (see “How tocontact Georgia’s representatives andsenators” later in this story to makeyour voice heard):

What does the ACES legislation do?

It requires electric utilities, in-cluding electric membership corpo-rations (EMCs), to reduce greenhousegas emissions (CO2) at increasingamounts over time. These obliga-tions would begin in 2012 andrequire 80-percent reductions by2050. It also creates a RenewableElectricity Standard (RES), mandat-ing that electric utilities purchase 20 percent of their energy from a re-

newable resource by 2025, or pay a2.5 cents/kWh noncompliance pen-alty. About one-fifth of the RES canbe met with efficiency and conser-vation programs. Small utilities(annual energy sales of 4 millionMWh or less) are exempt from theRES, but most Georgia EMCs aroundmetro Atlanta will be subject to themandate.

ACES establishes a “cap-and-trade” scheme to accomplish the CO2

emissions reductions, whichsets a national cap on thenumber of tons of CO2emissions allowed eachyear. The cap would growmore stringent over time.The EPA would then devel-op emissions permits, calledallowances, equal to thenumber of tons allowedannually under the cap.How those allowances aredistributed is a key questionunder any cap-and-tradeplan. Since ACES does notinclude an “economic safetyvalve” provision, the price isunrestricted, allowing ener-

gy costs to escalate without limitationas the market (which includes WallStreet speculators) for allowancesfluctuates.

How will ACES impact my electricity bill, and future energy supply in general?

Unfortunately, it will increaseyour electric bill. Several factors willcause the costs to rise:• The legislation intentionally createsa shortage of allowances, with the

price expected to rise sharply withno upper limit on price.• Carbon capture and storage (CCS)technology is not available yet. If itwere, CCS would allow utilities tocontinue using coal, with greatly reduced emissions, but at muchhigher costs.• Unlike Midwestern or South-western states with wind and solarenergy opportunities, renewable en-ergy is not available on an economicor commercial scale in Georgia,therefore the noncompliance penalty(roughly a 28-percent premium ontoday’s average cost/kWh) will be anadditional cost for EMC member-owners in the metro Atlanta area. • Energy costs are going to rise dueto the need for new generationcapacity regardless of cap-and-trade,but shrinking capacity reserves andmore costly alternatives to coal willincrease costs even further.

What’s next?The U.S. Senate will consider

climate-change legislation and in-tends to write its own bill this monthin the Environment and PublicWorks Committee, chaired by Sen.Barbara Boxer (D-CA). The SenateEnergy and Natural Resources Com-mittee, chaired by Sen. JeffBingaman (D-NM), passed a RES thissummer. The Senate RES is lessaggressive—although still very puni-tive to Georgia consumers—than theHouse version, mandating 15 per-cent of electricity from renewablesources by 2021 with up to one-quarter coming from efficiency pro-grams. The Senate noncompliancepenalty is 2.1 cents/kWh. Once theSenate acts, the measure goes toconference committee to attempt toreconcile differences between thetwo versions. Ultimately, any agree-ment reached in committee must beapproved by both the House andSenate before going to the president.

SPECIAL ENERGY REPORT

he U.S. Senate is poised to act on energy and climate-change legislation this fall since the U.S. House passed

H.R. 2454—the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES)this summer. This report provides some answers to questions onthis landmark legislation.

Landmark energy legislation that can affect you

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Landmark energy legislation that can affect you

Georgia members of Congress voting “Yes”2nd District—Sanford Bishop (D) www.house.gov/bishop4th District—Hank Johnson (D) www.house.gov/johnson5th District—John Lewis (D) www.house.gov/johnlewis13th District—David Scott (D) www.house.gov/scott

Georgia members of Congress voting “No”1st District—Jack Kingston (R) www.house.gov/kingston3rd District—Lynn Westmoreland (R) www.house.gov/westmoreland6th District—Tom Price (R) www.tomprice.house.gov7th District—John Linder (R) www.house.gov/linder8th District—Jim Marshall (D) www.house.gov/marshall9th District—Nathan Deal (R) www.house.gov/deal10th District—Paul Broun (R) www.house.gov/broun11th District—Phil Gingrey (R) www.house.gov/gingrey12th District—John Barrow (D) www.house.gov/barrrow

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lar, 80 percent of registered votersdo not want Congress to pass cli-mate-change legislation without firstknowing the cost to consumers.* Inother words, Congress does nothave a “blank check” to address cli-mate change.

We want you, our consumer-owners, to engage your elected rep-resentatives in this critical debate onenergy policy. Contact your repre-sentatives and senators and urgethem to oppose provisions in any cli-mate legislation that does not ensure

consumers’ electric bills will rise aslittle as possible in addition to theincreases we already face for newgeneration.

Here’s how to contact Georgia’s representatives and senators:

Contact your elected official bymail, e-mail or telephone. The mainCapitol switchboard phone numberis (202) 224-3121, and you can reachany member of Congress throughthis number.

Sen. Saxby Chambliss (R)www.chambliss.senate.govSen. Johnny Isakson (R)www.isakson.senate.gov

Note: The voting record for Georgia’srepresentatives is shown at thebeginning of this article, and theSenate has yet to take action. BothSens. Chambliss and Isakson remain outspoken opponents of cap-and-trade schemes for greenhouse gasreductions and have opposed dispro-portionately punitive renewable elec-tricity standards for our state andregion of the country.

Our representatives and senators need to fight for a climate-change bill that is:

✔ Fair—Legislation needs to recognize regional differences in how electricityis produced. Consumers should not be penalized because of where theylive.

✔ Affordable—Any plan must keep electric bills affordable for allAmericans.

✔ Achievable—Mandates must be realistic to ensure long-term success.

H.R. 2454 as passed by the House of Representatives does not meet theabove criteria. We urge our members of Congress to oppose legislation ifsignificant changes to improve the bill consistent with these fundamentalobjectives are not made in the Senate.

For more information and to make your voice heard, go to www.ourenergy.coop.

* April 2009 NRECA opinion poll

What will happen if Congressdoesn’t pass a climate-changebill?

The EPA found that greenhousegases pose a threat to public healthand welfare. Should the EPA ulti-mately regulate greenhouse gasesunder the Clean Air Act, such regula-tion could be more costly than thatbeing considered in Congress. Much-needed new generation capacityhangs in the balance while the poten-tial for legislative or regulatory actionundermines planning certainty forenergy providers. For more informa-tion on this EPA proceeding, go toepa.gov/climatechange/endangerment.html.

What should I ask my members of Congress to do,and when?

The time is now! The Senate ispoised to act on energy and climate-change legislation within the next 30to 60 days; then House and Senateconferees will hammer out a finalbill. While a majority of U.S. citizensbelieve something should be doneto decrease our reliance on fossilfuels, and foreign sources in particu-

16-17 Energy feature_0909 8/12/09 12:37 PM

BY E.WAYNE MCDANIEL, PH.D.

Honoring heroes

There isn’t space to tell the stories of every veteran, but here are afew. The hope is that they will encourage every reader to root outtheir own family’s narratives to add to those presented.

Our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents have untoldriches to offer us in their life stories. Record them, write them, andretell them to your own children and grandchildren. It is the finesttribute we can offer them and the greatest gift we can give to young readers.

Tom Brokaw called these veterans our “Greatest Generation.” Iftrue, it’s partly because their characters were forged on the anvil ofthe Great Depression. Hardship has built stronger citizens through-out history.

Gen. H. Norman Schwarzkopf titled his biography, “It Doesn’tTake a Hero,” but each Georgian presented in this article, as well asthe hundreds of thousands of others who lived and fought duringWorld War II, are heroes of the best kind.

Most, however, would tell you they were just doing their job. They were not alone. Many more Georgians, men and women,

entered the civilian war effort either at home or by traveling to theindustrialized North. They are all heroes.

While most of these Georgia natives were in their teens or early20s when war broke out in 1941, and are in their mid-to-late 80snow, some were older. Unfortunately, during the preparation ofthis article, one of our veterans passed away. E.J. Daniel of Millenwas nearing age 40 when he entered the army at war’s outbreak.He passed away in April at the age of 101. We wish easy rest to him,and to all the other heroes who have left us. And, as was pointedout by several of the others, “None of us is getting any younger.”

A tribute to Georgia’s World War II veterans

Honoring heroes

18 GEORGIA MAGAZINEwww.georgiamagazine.org

More than 320,000

Georgians served in the

U.S. armed forces in World

War II. Of these, approxi-

mately 5,000 gave their

lives for their country on

foreign seas and soil. Most

of their stories were told in

letters to family and simple

white monuments on

foreign fields.

18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:09 AM

Mack Abbott was up early onDec. 7, 1941. He had an appoint-ment at the nearby Honolulu airportfor his first flying lesson. Abbott did-n’t get to keep his appointment. In-stead, he met hundreds of Japanesewarplanes head-on, as they bombedand strafed Pearl Harbor, where hisbarracks were located, and othermilitary installations on Oahu Island.

The sneak attack devastated theAmerican fleet anchored at PearlHarbor and placed our country’sfuture in serious peril.

Since he was up and dressed,unlike his fellow Marines, Abbottwas the first one on the parade field,firing up at the attackers with hisWorld War I-era rifle. He and his 12 companions shot down threeenemy planes.

The Marine Corps creditedAbbott with firing the first shot ofWorld War II for the Corps.

Abbott’s biography, “First andLast Shot Fired in World War II,” tells of his experiences that day, fol-lowed by battles on Pacific islandssuch as Midway, Guadalcanal,Saipan and Tinian.

He was sent to school to be-come a water engineering techni-cian. Making fresh water was vital

on many of thePacific Islands, andthat was why hewas sent to Midway.

His firing of thefirst shot for theCorps at PearlHarbor—and the lastshot, on Tinian—was strictly bychance.

“I had nothing to do with itreally,” he says. “I happened to bein the right spot and was just doingmy job.”

It was also by chance thatAbbott’s water-desalting equipmentwas crucial in telling the planners inHawaii that the next Japanese objec-tive in the Pacific was Midway.

The problem he was broughtthere to solve was used by the codebreakers to send a fake message forthe Japanese to intercept. Their latermessage traffic on the subjectassured the American admirals thatthe Japanese code “AF” meantMidway, and that this was their nexttarget for attack.

The American carrier fleet, justabout the only large ships to survivePearl Harbor, was waiting for theJapanese forces, and their airborneattacks broke the back of the enemycarrier forces, sealing Japan’s fate.

It was on Tinian that Abbott led

the last official patrolagainst Japanese hold-outs while bombersflew off the pacifiedend of the island todrop atomic bombs onthe Japanese mainlandon Aug. 6 and 9, 1945,

by order of President Harry S.Truman.

Abbott was also credited by theMarine Corps as having fired the last shot of World War II while onthat patrol.

Originally from near Birming-ham, Ala., Abbott ultimately settledin Gainesville. Among his manyactivities, he served as president ofthe Georgia Pearl Harbor Survivorsorganization.

He was responsible for spear-heading the movement to place abeautiful monument to Pearl Harborveterans in the national cemeterynear Marietta, an almost impossibletask. As Abbott says, “Marine ser-geants just don’t like to take no foran answer, so I persisted.”

He also has been a proud mem-ber of the World War II Roundtablegroup in Atlanta for many years.

Abbott’s book is availablethrough local libraries or from theauthor. ★

Mack Abbott, Gainesville

19www.georgiamagazine.orgSeptember 2009

The Marine Corps

credited Abbott with

firing the first shot

of World War II for

the Corps.

Marine Mack Abbott, of Gainesville, is responsible for a new monument nearMarietta honoring Pearl Harbor veterans. Above: The USS Shaw explodes duringthe Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor Dec. 7, 1941.


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18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:10 AM

Some might consider Curtis Beallthe ideal example of a Southern gen-tleman farmer. On his farm nearDublin, he raises Christmas trees andcatfish and makes very good scup-pernong wine.

While this may be the picture ofBeall now, things were very differentfor him 65 years ago when he en-tered the Marine Corps and joined inthe attack against Japanese forces,slugging through the mud on theisland of Okinawa.

In an attempt to complete hiscollege education before enteringmilitary service, Beall had entered theUniversity of Georgia (UGA) in 1941.He was one course short of gradua-tion on July 1, 1943, when hereceived an invitation from the U.S.government to leave college andreport to Duke University in Durham,N.C., for active duty.

It would be four long yearsbefore he returned to UGA.

After two semesters of toughcourses in mathematics and physicsat Duke, Beall and his fellow futureMarine officers were shipped off toParris Island, S.C., for three monthsof basic training.

“As we approached the island,”says Beall, “we noticed a huge signthat read, ‘This is where the differ-

corpsman. He had taken part in apractice run for the attack weeksbefore, while still in England. Theoperation, called Exercise Tiger, trag-ically took many more Americanlives than the actual landing at Utah.

The operation that was intendedto prepare the men for the landingwas so secret that few references toit existed until recently. Most are theoral histories of those, like Austin,who actually participated in it.

The practice landing was heldon the English Coast at SlaptonSands Beach, which had been select-ed because of its resemblance toNormandy’s Utah Beach.

Unfortunately, the Americantroops that took part in Tiger ranafoul of several German E-boats,which were patrolling the area fromtheir base at nearby Cherbourg,France.

The E-boats were small, fast,heavily armed motor torpedo boats,similar to the U.S. Navy’s PT boats.They savagely attacked several ofthe fully loaded LSTs.

The result was the loss of several hundred American troops.The exact number varies, but it was somewhere between 500 to1,000 men.

The tragedy could have scuttledthe entire invasion, if made known.Austin, now a semiretired Baptistminister, vividly recalls the partici-pants who survived being given astern warning.

“They told us that anyonecaught speaking of the disasterwould be shot,” says Austin, “andthey meant it.”

The magnitude of the tragedy is

Jim Austin had just turned 18when D-Day, code-named “Opera-tion Overlord,” commenced on June6, 1944. The young U.S. Navy hos-pital corpsman and his shipmatesquaked, but forged ahead as theAmerican battleships’ salvos wentover their heads. Their LST (LandingShip-Tank) made its perilous way to Utah Beach, Normandy, underheavy artillery fire, and onward into history.

While the carnage at Utah wassevere, it was lighter than at otherbeaches that morning.

“We were in the seventh waveto hit the beach,” says Austin. “Itwas a terrible experience, as any-one who was there can tell you, ifthey will talk about it.”

Austin was a member of a med-ical team, made up of two doctorsand 20 corpsmen, part of a secretunit of hundreds of medical person-nel called “Foxy 29.”

The United States had knownfor several years that this day wouldcome, and that there would bemany casualties. The LSTs werethere to drop off men and equip-ment, then administer to the fallenon the beaches and evacuate thewounded back to England.

The landing must have had aneerie sense of déjà vu for the young

James Austin, Rome

Madeline and Jim Austin, of Rome,married in 1950 after Jim returnedfrom his service in the Navy as amedic on D-Day. Above right: Troopswade ashore on Omaha Beach duringthe Normandy Invasion, June 6, 1944.

Curtis Beall, Dublin


best illustrated by comparing thenumber of deaths. More than twice asmany troops lost their lives practicingfor the landing. Fewer than 300 liveswere lost during the actual landingon lightly defended Utah Beach. ★

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18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 10:57 AM

ence begins,’ but we hadno idea just how big thatdifference would be.”

The biggest lessonlearned, according toBeall, was that therewould be no more “I, meor myself.” Those terms were nownonexistent. Instead, the soon-to-beMarine officers were taught to thinkin terms of “we and us.”

After basic training, the Marineswere ordered to Camp Lejeune, N.C.,for another three months of moreadvanced, and even more demand-ing, training.

In spring 1944, Beall, along with6,000 other Marines, boarded theAdmiral Hughes, a converted luxuryliner, and sailed for Okinawa. Hewas placed in charge of 200 men.The ship made a short stop at PearlHarbor, then proceeded to Guam,where they spent two weeks prepar-ing for combat duty.

After a short stop at Saipan, theMarines landed on Okinawa, not farfrom Kadena Air Base. The Marinesbivouacked for two days, and Beallwas assigned to the First Marines.

He was ordered to take com-mand of an 81-millimeter mortar pla-toon, which had been decimated by

Japanese fire.The Battle of

Okinawa, the largestamphibious operation inthe Pacific theater, hasbeen called “82 days ofhell” and “Typhoon of

Steel,” referring to the heavy fightingand adverse conditions.

“The mud was so thick anddeep, it would pull the soles right offthe men’s boots,” recalls Beall.

Fleas, ticks and mosquitoesmade life nearly unbearable, even ifit weren’t for the constant Japanesefiring.

One of the most devastating battles of the war, Okinawa sawmore than 50,000 Allied casualties,mostly American, with 12,000 killed.

The Japanese lost more than100,000 troops, and approximatelyone-fourth of the island’s noncom-bative population died due to theinvasion.

The main Japanese resistanceended on June 21, 1945, with mostof the senior Japanese officers com-mitting suicide, called “seppuku.”Some minor and sporadic skirmishescontinued until the total Japanesesurrender in August 1945.

A monument now stands onOkinawa, listingthe names of thedead—Japanesemilitary, Alliedforces and civil-ian. There arenearly a quartermillion namesinscribed on themonument.

Beall returnedto UGA in 1947 tofinish his finalcourse in bacteri-

ology, where he received his bache-lor’s degree in agriculture. ★

The Museum of Aviation inWarner Robins honors the heroes ofWorld War II with its impressiveWorld War II Exhibit Hangar. Openedon Oct. 17, 2008, it is the first newhangar built at the museum in the last13 years and is part of the NextGeneration capital campaign.Theopening weekend featured gala eventsand a concert by country music artistLee Greenwood with backing fromthe Band of the Air Force Reserve.

The festivities were dedicated tohonoring veterans of World War IIand more specifically the 507thParachute Infantry Regiment, which isthe subject of the hangar’s first exhib-it, Down to Earth:The 507th Para-chute Infantry Regiment and the AirInvasion of Normandy. In January, this6,000-square-foot exhibit was giventhe 2009 award for the Best MuseumExhibition by the Georgia Associationof Museums and Galleries.

The exhibit demonstrates howthe coordination of air and navalforces contributed to the success ofOperation Overlord, the Allied D-Day invasion. In addition to thisexhibit, other features on World War II include the Tuskegee Airmenand the Hump Pilots, who providedair support in the campaigns in India,Burma and China.

The Museum of Aviation is locat-ed in Warner Robins near Robins AirForce Base, 20 miles south of Macon.For more information visit www.museumofaviation.org or call (478) 926-6870.

—Andrew Widener

TheMuseum of Aviation


Okinawa saw

more than 50,000

Allied casualties,

mostly American,

with 12,000

killed in action.

Curtis Beall, of Dublin, author of “Memoirsof a Marine Dawg,” was a Marine com-mander at the Battle of Okinawa.


18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:13 AM

Many military veterans find it dif-ficult to talk about their wartimeexperiences. There areat least two notableexceptions among ourfeatured veterans. MackAbbott is one; CarlBeck the other. Bothspeak to civic and mili-tary organizations abouttheir service experi-ences, but they’re mosthappy when addressingyoung people in schoolsin Atlanta and through-out Northeast Georgia.

“It’s important that school-age children hear our story,”says Beck. “If we heed mistakesmade in the past, we’re muchless likely to make them again.”

Beck was among the eliteparatroops who took much oftheir training at Camp Toccoa.The steep slopes of CurraheeMountain were the ideal place totoughen up the young troops.

The camp produced manystories, including the inspirationfor the 2001 miniseries “Band ofBrothers.” The soldier whose res-cue from the front lines was fea-tured in the 1998 film “SavingPrivate Ryan” went through train-ing there. Even the 1967 film “TheDirty Dozen” was based on the dubi-ous exploits of some less-distin-guished soldiers from the camp.

The training at Camp Toccoa wasfollowed by more rigorous training atparachute school, held at CampMackall in North Carolina.

Beck, upon completion of thistraining, served in the ranks of thefamed “Screaming Eagles.” He fought with H Company, 501stParachute Infantry Regiment, 101stAirborne Division.

Dropped behind German enemylines in the early morning hoursbefore the commencement of Opera-tion Overlord, better known as D-Day, Beck and his compatriots land-

ed near Vierville on France’scoast at Normandy.

Their job was to confuseand engage the enemy to takepressure off the nearly 25,000

troops, which landed on UtahBeach the next day, June 6, 1944.

They did their job well. Beck spent the next sev-

eral weeks fighting in Nor-mandy, facing a determinedfoe aided by terrain filled

with hedgerows, canals andrivers at flood stage.

Later, he participated inthe bloody fighting of Opera-tion Market Garden in the

Netherlands, and then battled theGermans at Bastogne, as part of thefamed Battling and Battered Bas-tards of Bastogne.

His deeds were recognized withthe award of the Bronze Star, PurpleHeart and commendation medals, aswell as a Presidential Unit Citation,with clusters, among other decora-tions. His foreign medals include theDutch Order of Wilhelms, the Bel-gian Forreguerre and the FrenchCroix de Guerre.

Beck leads tours to Normandyand still jumps out of airplanes tocommemorate D-Day. He alsoworks part time at Agnes Scott Col-lege in Decatur. ★

A secret Navy course in cryptol-ogy, or code breaking, was givenduring World War II at seven of thenation’s major women’s colleges.Upon completion of the course heldat Coucher College in Baltimore,Md., Atlanta resident Janice Benario,along with a dozen of her class-mates, entered the Navy as “WomenAccepted for Volunteer EmergencyService” (WAVES) with the rating of seaman.

“We were placed on active dutyon July 3, 1943, and sent to MountHolyoke College in South Hadley,Mass., for eight weeks of trainingand indoctrination,” says Benario.

She and the other youngwomen were soon made midship-men and, on Aug. 24, 1943, werepromoted to ensigns in the Navy,cleared to handle top secret materi-al. She was then ordered to reportto the Naval CommunicationsAnnex, in Washington, D.C.

Here she was further cleared tohandle top secret Ultra material. Heroffice received the interceptedencrypted Enigma messages to andfrom German U-boats operating inthe Atlantic under German Adm.Doenitz. The Enigma Code used aspecial machine invented by theGermans after World War I calledthe Wehrmacht Enigma. The Alliesbroke the code in 1943 and usedthe intercepted information to greatadvantage.

After the messages were decod-ed and translated into English, theywere studied carefully by theresearch team in Benario’s officeand then forwarded to either thechief of Naval Operations or theNavy’s commander in chief, andlater Fleet Adm. Earnest King.

The contributions of Benarioand her team of code breakerssaved countless lives in the NorthAtlantic, as many of the efforts ofthe German U-boat “Wolf packs”were thwarted by the now-informedconvoys and destroyers.


Carl D. Beck, Atlanta

Still smiling, Carl Beck, ofAtlanta, is a decorated para-

trooper who speaks to schoolgroups—and continues to skydive!

Janice M. Benario, Atlanta

18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 09:10 AM

18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:16 AM

The second half of his bookdeals with his years both aboardship and ashore with the Navy, mostof it during World War II.

He served at a naval air stationin the Canal Zone of the Republic ofPanama for two years before PearlHarbor. He was stationed in Hawaiiand Australia and served aboardthree ships—the Griffin, the Arneband the Wayne.

The USS Griffin (AS-13), wasoriginally a civilian cargo ship. Pur-chased by the Navy in 1941 andconverted into a submarine tender,she sailed to Brisbane, Australia, in 1942.

Here the Griffin, and her talent-ed crew of maintenance people,supported Submarine SquadronFive, a small fleet of outdated substhat bravely battled the Japanesenavy, almost single-handedly. Theyprotected Australia’s coast, untillater joined by more modern U.S.subs. Most of Australia’s ships andtroops were away, helping Englandagainst the Germans in Europe, andleaving the country vulnerable toJapanese attack.

Harrell’s next ship was the USSArneb (AKA-56), an attack cargoship. The ship was in pre-commis-sioning phase when he came aboardin Portland, Ore. This was a hugeundertaking, with everybody aboardpitching in. He and his small teamof Navy yeomen were responsiblefor commissioning the ship.

Toward the end of the war,Harrell was assigned to the USSWayne (APA- 54), an attack transportship. On his first trip, from Hawaii,the Wayne delivered hundreds ofsurvivors, many of them wounded,from the Battle of Okinawa to SanFrancisco.

After some repair and overhaulwork, again in Portland, the Wayneheaded back to the Pacific.

She delivered Marines to Naga-saki, Japan, this time, for occupationduty immediately after the war. HereHarrell saw, firsthand, the devasta-

tion and terrible aftereffects of anatomic blast.

Nagasaki, the second citybombed by American bombers witha nuclear bomb, had been almosttotally destroyed, with the loss ofmore than 74,000 of its residents.

“The sight of the injured anddying will be with me for life,” hesays. “One of my most lasting im-pressions is that of the image of ahuman form, burned into the surfaceof a bridge by the bomb’s blast.”

Harrell married Gaynelle whileon a short leave in the middle of thewar. A widower now, he has movedto Nashville, Tenn., to be near hischildren. ★

★ ★ ★These stories are representative

of thousands of veteran’s chronicles,some more heroic, some less, but allvaliant in their own way. If you en-joy speaking your native language,living and worshiping according toyour own ideas, you might want toshake the hand of a World War IIvet and say “thank you.”

E. Wayne McDaniel, of Gaines-ville, is a journalist, historian andteacher. He is also a veteran of morethan 30 years’ total military and gov-ernment service, having served inboth the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navythroughout Europe, Asia, SoutheastAsia and the U.S. Now, he writes andteaches history and creative writingin the continuing education depart-ments of several area universities.


For further reading:

• “Allies, Pearl Harbor to D-Day,” by John S.D. Eisenhower

• “At Dawn We Slept:The Untold Storyof Pearl Harbor,” by Gordon W. Prange

• “D-Day, June 6, 1944 the ClimacticBattle of World War II,” by Stephen E.Ambrose

• “D-day: Down to Earth: Return of the507th,” by Phil Walker

• “Days of infamy: MacArthur, Roosevelt,Churchill, the Shocking Truth,” by John Costello

• “Enigma:The Battle for the Code,” by Hugh Sebag-Montefiore

• “Foxy 29: From the Sea Came Heroes,”by Joseph Earhart Sardo III

• “Pearl Harbor: A Primary SourceHistory,” by Jacqueline Gorman

• “Pearl Harbor:The Day of Infamy—An Illustrated History,” by Dan van der Va

• “Secret Messages: Codebreaking andAmerican Diplomacy,” by David J.Alvarez

• “The Tuskegee Airmen: the Men whoChanged a Nation,” by Charles E. Francis

• “The History of the GermanResistance, 1933-1945,” by Peter Hoffmann

See these Web sites for more on …

D-Day• www.nationalww2museum.org/history• www.dday.co.uk • www.army.mil/D-day • www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/dday Pearl Harbor• www.history.navy.mil • plasma.nationalgeographic.com/pearlharbor • www.time.com/time/photoessays/pearl

harbor• www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pearl.htmEnigma Code• ww2db.com/battle_spec.php?battle_id=92• math.ucsd.edu/~crypto/students/enigma.

html

(Continued from page 23)

The “Fat Man” nuclear bombwas detonated over Nagasaki onAug. 9, 1945, killing more than74,000 people.

18-23_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:17 AM

18-23_SW_0909 8/11/09 01:28 AM

S

Scott and I had just returnedfrom our honeymoon and wereloading up my things from myparents’ house. I was standing inthe doorway talking with Mom whenI heard the sound of breaking china.To my dismay, Scott had droppedthe carefully wrapped teapot we had purchased on our honeymoon,and it now lay in pieces on thedriveway. In tears, I began to fuss athim when Mom put her arms aroundme and said, “Camille, life is full ofbroken teapots.”

26 GEORGIA MAGAZINE

The best advice I ever took wasgiven to me by my dad. He onlystood 5 feet 2 inches tall, but wasthe biggest man I ever knew. Heloved his family and worked hard toprovide for us. He was Italian andloved to share stories and sayingsfrom the old country. One gem heshared with me was this: Do good,forget about it; do bad and thinkabout it.

That has served me well when-ever I did something for someoneand they didn’t say thank you.Rather than get frustrated with theirlack of courtesy, I would rememberwhat Dad told me and let it go. Hesaid I would get my thanks in theend. When I did something wrong,my conscience would kick in, and Iwould always try to correct it. “I’msorry” was always part of my vocab-ulary, and it has served me well inmy marriage and child-rearing.

It’s just as important to say I’msorry as it is to say thank you, andmy dad’s words ring in my ears.He’s gone, and I sure do miss him,but he left behind a world ofadvice that I now pass down to my children.

—Madeline Lewis, Cleveland(Habersham EMC)

Essay contest:

Words

ometimes it’s tough to navigate life’s issues, but occasionally you’ll hear apiece of advice—something that just “clicks” and stays with you.

For the past several months, we’ve asked readers to submit the best piece ofadvice they ever heard. From all over the state, we received stories that werefunny, inspirational and others telling of hard life lessons.

Below are some of our favorites. Readers whose stories are published thismonth will each win $50. Thanks to everyone who entered our essay contest!

wisdomReaders share the ‘best advice’ they’ve ever received

Words

Life is full of broken teapots

That short phrase, so full of wis-dom, has been often quoted in our26 years of marriage. Accidents hap-

pen. Treasures are lost.Hearts are broken. Lifeoffers many unexpectedmoments where wemust quickly chooseeither to lash out inanger or to extend graceand forgiveness.

While I would loveto still have that prettychina teapot, the life les-son I learned from mymother that day hasproved to be the morevaluable keepsake.

—Camille McDade,Sandersville

(Washington EMC)Susan Bryan and daughter Camille McDade, in 1983

Saying ‘I’m sorry’

of

26-35_RE_SW_0909 8/12/09 11:13 AM

The best advice I ever receivedwas from my mother. I had beenthrough a pretty awful divorce theyear before, and I didn’t realize justhow different I had become. Thedivorce changed me, and I let hap-piness just slip away. I thought itwas “unattainable” since I wasn’tpart of the traditional family any-more. I was tired, bitter and angry.

My mother looked at me oneday and told me, “Let it go, forgivehim. He really is sorry, and he stillloves you.” I didn’t accept it atfirst, but looking in the mirror, Iwas just a shell of who I oncewas: A happy mother of three,with a full life ahead.

I did just what she said, I for-gave him. Completely. Peoplenoticed right away, I was smilingnow! I had a renewed purpose inraising my children and made excit-ing plans for the future. Best of all,I realized that being positiveattracts positive outcomes.

My ex-husband and I starteddating again, two years after wedivorced, and repaired what wasbroken. He asked me to marry himfor the second time, one year later.We are now remarried, but it allstarted with a simple little notion offorgiveness. Sometimes the mostpowerful tools we have are theones that we’ve had all along, wejust forget to use them.

—Celeste Simmons, Kennesaw (Cobb EMC)

One afternoon in June1935, I was helping Daddywork in our peach orchard.The peaches were beginning toripen. I was planning to go toMeredith College with moneyhe would make when heshipped those peaches in abouttwo weeks. A terrific wind-storm came up suddenly andblew the peaches off the trees.

The Great Depression hadtaken all of Daddy’s money,and there lay my hopes underthose peach trees. I sobbed, andDaddy, a man of indescribable faith,said, “Don’t give up, Honey. If wetrust God, he will provide a plan.”

I had been extremely active in 4-H work in Chesterfield County, sowe went to see the Home Demon-stration agent to ask about borrow-ing $100 from the 4-H ScholarshipFund. I qualified and got the loan.With my wardrobe of five home-made dresses, I went to college. The

day I left, Daddy had one$10 bill, but hisadvice was worthmillions. It taughtme what faith inGod means.Today, after 43years in public

education, I havefaith in a hand bigger

than a peach tree.—Ruth Baxley, Toomsboro

(Oconee EMC)

27September 2009 www.georgiamagazine.org

Trust in God

Do the right thingI am blessed with having a

mother and father who taught mytwo sisters and me to be true to ourword and just do the right thing. Mydad died suddenly at age 55 in1979, but the lessons I learned fromhim are priceless. I remember himreturning home from the drugstore,and as soon as he walked in thedoor he realized the clerk had givenhim $5 too much. Before he evensat down, he quickly went back toreturn that $5. You shouldn’t keepsomething that isn’t yours, and thatwas instilled in me by his example.

My mother, who is now 83,taught us to just do it, and do itright the first time. She is one whonever puts anything off and literallydoesn’t let the grass grow under herfeet. She continues to cut her yardwith a push mower, and if we arebehind on our grass cutting, she’llbe cutting our yard too! It’s a chal-lenge to stay ahead of her, but herdetermination and getting thingsdone are what keep her going.Hope she makes it to 100!

—Pat Evans, Jasper (Amicalola EMC)

‘I realized that being positive attracts

positive outcomes.’

Simple forgiveness

Jewell Buchanan and daughter Pat Evans

‘The day I left, Daddy had one$10 bill, but his advice was

worth millions.’

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Planning a vacation?Or just a weekend

getaway?

Like many newlyweds, my hus-band and I struggled financially. Weboth came into the marriage withcar payments and credit card debt.Marriage added even more debt—rent, telephone, electricity, cable,water, groceries, etc.

I worked at the local bank, andin an effort to reduce our debt, Iwent to my boss, Mike McDonald,to ask for a loan to consolidate bills.He agreed, but first he asked me tomake a list of all our outstandingdebts starting with the smallest andgoing up from there. I returned thenext day with the list.

Mr. McDonald looked over mylist of 13 bills and then offered methe best advice I’ve ever received.He said, “The easiest way to reduceyour debt is to start by paying offthe smallest bill on this list. Afterthat bill is paid, you will only have12 bills. Take the next smallest billand work on paying it off. Thenyou will only have 11 bills. Contin-ue this process until all your billsare paid.”

—Tammye Vaughn, Vidalia(Altamaha EMC)

Take stock of your debt

Tammye Vaughn, left, with husband Russand daughter Abby

Look for the Travel Guide on page 47 of this issue.

26-35_RE_SW_0909 8/13/09 02:08 AM


Spend time with your kids

“Spend time with your kidswhen they’re young—they’ll begone before you know it!” a churchfriend shared with me, as I raisedthree daughters, two years apart,alone. Toddler and preschool yearspassed in a blur of exhaustion.Working two jobs, legal secretaryand vacuum cleaner salesperson,made “quality time” become the“any time” of laundry, baths, quicksuppers, bedtime stories, silly songsand praying as they fell asleep—allcrammed into the space after a gru-eling drive home from Atlanta, pick-ing up my girls on the way.

This year, my 18-, 16- and 14-year-old daughters begin leaving.Yesterday, we spent hours in thepediatrician’s office, getting prescrip-tions to treat constant strep throatinfections. Today, substitute that forhours in the dermatologist’s office toget acne prescriptions.

Experiencing the agony andecstasy of raising three kids taughtme to take the time to watch everyplay they act in, every ball gamethey compete in, every “Nutcracker”ballet. Read books. Go on trips.Pray over them. Time flies.

—Jean M. Zhuño, Toccoa (Hart EMC)

Essay contest


Jean Zhuño, second from left, with daughters Annabelle, Marisa and Jocelyn

‘Watch every play they act in, every ball game they

compete in.’

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As a young bride, I would visitwith my grandmother and spendtime talking to her in the kitchen orliving room.

One day the subject was howhusbands can get on your nervesand knew just how to punch ourbuttons. I asked how she handledthis, and she stated that, as sheaged, she came to realize that each

thing had to be han-dled separately. Youcannot group thingstogether and makebig arguments out ofsmall disagreements.Her next words madea major impression.“If it will not matter tomorrow, thenjust keep silent.” I have carried

those words with mesince that day.

Her greatest irrita-tion was that mygranddad would buyused vehicles andpark them in thefront yard until they

sold. She hated the front of herhome looking like a used car lot.But the eyesore was a source ofincome, and, when the vehicle sold,the eyesore was gone. Therefore,the wisdom imparted was what irri-tated her today might be gonetomorrow, and it was not worthdamaging their relationship over.

This same wisdom can apply tomany aspects of married life. Ibegan to think before opening mymouth, and it helped me to be morepatient and less critical of myspouse. My grandparents have beenmarried 68 years, and as I followbehind with 25 years, I wish to beas blessed in a relationship as theyare at 83 and 84 years of age.

—Tracy K. Thompson, Buchanan(Carroll EMC)

As a child, I heard Mama saythe blessing countless times. Herstandard mealtime prayer was,“Teach us to count our blessings,dear Lord, and help us to be moreworthy of them. In Christ’s name,Amen.” Because of her Southernaccent, I alwaysthought shewas saying,“Teach us tocan our bless-ings.” This state-ment triggereda mental pictureof our blessingsbeing preservedin Mason jarsand placed onshelves forfuture use.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

‘Can’ your blessings


John and Jeannette Elrod, marriedfor 68 years

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By the time my auditory mis-take was corrected, I had learnedthat the misunderstood blessing wasas important as what she had actual-ly said. Mama had unintentionallypassed along wisdom through hersoft accent. Yes, I do need to learnto count my blessings: a loving hus-band, a comfortable home and ter-rific friends. I will learn even moreby preserving those blessings in

some way so that in the future I cantake them down from my mentalshelves and be blessed by theirmemories.

Although Mama’s not with meanymore, I have followed her guid-ance and have “canned” my treas-ured memories of her blessings—Southern accent and all!

—Frances McDaniel, LaGrange(Diverse Power)

My father was multi-talented. Hewas a farmer who worked tirelesslyto protect his land and forest usingcrop rotation, terracing and refor-estation. He was a Primitive Baptistminister whose congregation lovedhim as a relative. He was also ateacher as well as a principal.

Father taught me at CentervilleGrammar School for three years in athree-room cinder-block buildingwith a coal-burning stove in eachroom. When I was in the fourthgrade in 1948, the school wasdownsized to two teachers withthree grades in two rooms.

There were two words that myfather could not tolerate: “I can’t.”To emphasize his point, he literallyhad a mock funeral for “I can’t.”The two words were printed inbold red letters on yellow posterpaper and placed in a cardboardbox—the coffin. A shallow gravewas dug in a remote section of theplayground. His three classesattended the funeral. He made aspeech emphasizing never using “Ican’t” as an excuse again because itwill be buried today.

At age 69, I still run across someof my classmates from that era. Veryoften one will ask, “Do you remem-ber the funeral for ‘I can’t?’” “I mostcertainly do,” I reply in all earnest.

—Jefferson Marion Hunt, Kathleen(Flint Energies)


Funeral for ‘I can’t’

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September 2009

My mother, Elsie MaeDixon O’Donnell, ofMershon, always told hernine children, “Get all theeducation you can. Nobodycan take it away from you!”Some of my brothers tookwelding and auto-bodyclasses, others took classesto work in the phosphatemines in Central Florida.Four of my brothers took aturn in the Army, two went into theNavy. Again, they had to take class-es to rise in the ranks or changetheir mode of operating.

I went to Berry College inRome to become a high schoolteacher. I was always going back atnight and summers for more classesto do more, become more. Twoyears ago, I retired after teaching 34 years. Some of those great yearswere spent teaching in Rome andMcRae and in Central Florida.

So, Mom, thanks again for thewonderful advice—“Get an educa-tion.” Your children all took classes,worked and made a place for themselves.—Susan Rudd, Jesup (Satilla REMC)

Get an education

Save a friendshipMy father, who tended 45 acres

of land, worked at a barber shop onSaturdays and pastored two church-es on Sundays, taught me a lot. Helived to be 100 years old, and I’llalways remember his advice.

Never argue with an angryfriend. Wait until they calm down.Only then will you be able to reasonwith them and perchance save afriendship.

—Bonnie Belle Phillips, Winterville (Rayle EMC)

Elsie Mae Dixon O’Donnell, center, with several of her children and grandchildren

‘Get all the education you can.’

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26-35_RE_SW_0909 8/12/09 01:00 PM

September 2009 34Awww.georgiamagazine.org

Lessons in leadershipThe 2009 Washington Youth Tour

he week of June 11-18, 2009,103 high school students fromacross Georgia (representing 38

electric cooperatives) traveled on the2009 Washington Youth Tour (WYT),a weeklong, all-expenses-paid jour-ney to Atlanta, the Little White Housein Warm Springs and Wash ing ton,D.C. Upon arrival in D.C., they join edmore than 1,400 other student dele-gates representing electric member-ship cooperatives (EMCs) from 44 states.

Each June, the students discoverthe WYT is more than a trip; it is alesson in leadership. Delegates learnabout the electric cooperative move-ment, as well as American historyand how government works. Theymeet Georgia’s representatives in theHouse and Senate, participate inNational Youth Day and partake ofWashington’s sights.

T Delegates return home passion-ate about their visits to nationalmonuments, including the Jefferson,Lincoln and FDR memorials, wherethey reflect on the words of leaderswho helped define and uphold ournation’s guiding principles. At theSmithsonian, delegates discover andexplore art, science, nature, andAmerica’s culture and history. Whenthey visit the World War II, KoreanWar Veterans and Vietnam Veteransmemorials and, especially, ArlingtonNational Cemetery, they realize theultimate price of freedom paid byour servicemen and servicewomen.

Since 1964, electric cooperativesacross the country have sent morethan 40,000 student delegates on theWYT, providing the opportunity of alifetime and affording them thechance to develop their leadershipabilities—for the hope of a better

future for themselves and their com-munities. Prospective participants andother interested parties, includingWYT alumni, can visit the YouthTour Web site, www.youthtour.coop,to learn about the tour’s history orreconnect with fellow alumni.

The 2009 itineraryJune 11-18

Day 1: Kick-off banquet in Atlanta;team-building and leadership exercisesDay 2: Tour Franklin D. Roosevelt’s LittleWhite House in Warm Springs; team-building exer cises at Coweta-Fayette EMCin Palmetto; flight to Washington, D.C.Day 3: Breakfast at Hard Rock Café;visit Ford’s Theatre, Peterson House, Smithsonian Institution and Washington NationalCathedral; dinner at Union Station; guided tour of FDR, Jefferson, World War II andIwo Jima memorialsDay 4: Guided tour of Arlington National Cemetery and wreath-laying ceremony atTomb of the Unknown Soldier; visit Lincoln Memorial, Korean War Veterans Memorialand Vietnam Veterans Memorial; see “Beauty and the Beast” at Toby’s Dinner TheatreDay 5: All-States Youth Day Program; lunch at Capitol Visitors Center; tour Capitol,Library of Congress and Holocaust Memorial Museum; dinner at Phillips Seafood followed by sunset cruise on the PotomacDay 6: Tour Supreme Court, Mount Vernon and Newseum; explore the KennedyCenter, visit Air Force and Pentagon 9/11 memorialsDay 7: Photographs with Georgia Sens. Saxby Chambliss and Johnny Isakson;Georgia Congressional Delegation meeting in Cannon Caucus Room; tour MadameTussauds wax museum and National Archives; All-States farewell event Day 8: Flight back to Atlanta

Morgan McCombs, of Blairsville, left, andMaggie Couey, of Alamo, were chosen asstatewide delegates representing GeorgiaEMC on the 2009 Washington Youth Tour.

DANIEL PECK STUDIO

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DANIEL PECK STUDIO

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Above: GreyStone Power’s DominiqueBarfield, right, shakes hands with Rep. LynnWestmoreland at the Georgia Congres sionalDelegation meeting. At right: From left,Grady EMC’s Courtney Suber, SunnieChason and Lizzie Kornegay pose with Sen. Saxby Chambliss.

PHILLIPVULLO

WYT_NL_0909 SW:WYT_layout_SW_0809 8/13/09 6:28 PM Page 34

34B GEORGIA MAGAZINE

‘An awesome experience’—this time as achaperone

BY KIRK SHOOK,

WALTON EMC CHAPERONE

When I was a junior in highschool, I participated in the Wash -ing ton Youth Tour as a Blue RidgeMoun tain EMC delegate in 2002. I met wonderful people I still keepin touch with. And I got to experi-ence the workings of our federalgovernment. The WYT inspired me to work in the political process of my country, which I continuetoday.

With this year’s 103 students intow, the chaperones for the tripworked to help make this another“awesome experience.” As usual, the well-planned trip included visitsto all the great sites in D.C. The tourgave these students the op por tunityto experience history firsthand,from Mount Vernon to the VietnamVeterans Memorial Wall.

Almost immediately, the stu-dents began to bond and form rela-tionships, which continued throughthe week as they soon became fami-ly. It is truly amazing to see this inthe course of a week, and it remind-ed me of my experiences when Iwalked in their shoes. But it wasnot just the youth who bonded, theadults did as well—14 of us, allfrom varying backgrounds andexperiences.

As the students exchanged numbers, e-mail addresses andFacebook invites, we chaperones did the same—talking of luncheonsand reunions. In today’s society ofBlackBerrys, iPods and instant mes-saging, the students modeled to usthe importance of forming relation-ships. The Youth Tour is more thantouring Washington, and no one can truly grasp that unless they go.“What an awesome experience!”

Kirk Shook teaches economicsand government at North OconeeHigh School in Bogart.

In their own wordsIn their own words

Top: From left, Lucy Ma, (Flint Energies), Austin Tanner (Slash Pine EMC), Yusuf Uddin(Flint Energies) and Emily Butler (Slash Pine EMC) participate in the wreath-laying cere-mony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Above: Delegates take a break from touringat the FDR Memorial.

E.J. Sanders (Oconee EMC, Dudley) …the power that I have, to inspire, toempower. The power to help the worldchange for the better.

The WYT taught me a valuablelesson in leadership by …

Kevin Ankerholz (Cobb EMC, Marietta)… showing me the importance of beingvocal. Before this trip, I led quietly byexample.

Hope Patton (Satilla REMC, Alma) …teaching me that leadership is about serving others.

Chelsea Statham (Southern RiversEnergy, Barnesville) … making me real-ize that in a group full of leaders, therecan’t be competition for the top dog.Everyone must follow each other.

Britton Weese (Walton EMC, Monroe)… taking me out of my comfort zoneand allowing me to meet people from allover the nation.

An exhibit, place or memorialmade me realize …

Kaitlin Costley (Carroll EMC,Carrollton) … Arlington Cemetery mademe realize we live in a wonderfulnation that thousands of individuals arewilling to give their lives for, and weshould not take freedom for granted.

The 2009 Washington YouthTour made me more aware of …

Audra Vaughters (Amicalola EMC,Jasper) … the workings of the govern-ment and history. It also showed me theleadership potential in not only myself,but every delegate on the trip.

Morgan McCombs (Blue RidgeMountain EMC, Young Harris) … theconnections people have with eachother. I will never be afraid to start up aconversation with a stranger ever again!

Kelsey Dobbs (GreyStone Power,Douglasville) … how our country isrun, and how it was created! I wasgiven the opportunity to see the foun-dation of a great nation.

Maggie Couey (Little Ocmulgee EMC,Alamo) … the present structure of gov-ernment and the complexity of it.


WYT_NL_0909:WYT_layout_SW_0809 8/12/09 3:08 PM Page 35


After the WYT trip, my aspira-tions are to …

Heather Styles (Jackson EMC, Jeffer son)… do an internship in Washington, D.C.

Aimee Johnson (Oconee EMC, Dudley)… write to my senators and representa-tives about my thoughts and ideas. I alsoplan to apply for a summer internship inthe House of Representatives.

Taylor Meadows (Planters EMC, Millen)… keep in touch with all of my newfriends and to continue developing myleadership skills.

Karen E. Roberts (Satilla REMC,Alma) … keep involved in asmany activities as possible.

Electric co-ops should con-tinue sending delegates toD.C. because …

Whitney Jinks (CentralGeorgia EMC, Jackson) …young people do not realizehow great our country is. Wehear so much negativity, butthis really opened my eyes tothe wonder and beauty that is America.

September 2009

Will Walton (Flint Energies, Reynolds)… the Holocaust Museum was truly life-changing. I literally got chills when Ientered the “shoe” room. My mindsetwas totally altered by listening to theconcentration camp survivors’ stories.

Morgan Adkins (Jefferson Energy,Wrens) … that history cannot truly beappreciated in the pages of a book.Climbing the marble steps of theJefferson Memorial and gazing at theConstitution made me feel connected tothe Founding Fathers.

Cody Ashcroft (Ocmulgee EMC,Eastman) … I felt somber after walkingthe grounds of Arlington and viewingthe wreath-laying ceremony. My ownfather serves in Afghanistan, and I wasreminded of the considerable sacrificesmade by soldiers and their families.

34C

Altamaha EMC’s Mary Frederickwants to major in chemistry, eventual-ly becoming a pharmacist.

Blue Ridge Mountain EMC’s BlakeCox hopes to attend U.S. MilitaryAcademy and serve his country.

Canoochee EMC’s Amber Hutchesonwants to become a veterinarian.

Carroll EMC’s Kaitlin Costley plans tomajor in U.S. history and dreams ofbecoming a museum curator at theSmithsonian.

Central Georgia EMC’s Tiara Martinhopes to attend law school and be thefirst black female president.

Coastal Electric Cooperative’sTyrone Bacon wants to specialize insports medicine.

GreyStone Power’s DominiqueBarfield plans to attend medicalschool and become a neurologist.

Habersham EMC’s Ethan Savagehopes to become a lawyer and a senator.

Delegates’ hopes and dreams …The 2009 Washington Youth Tour delegates are aiming high!

Richard Collins (Coastal Electric Coopera -tive, Midway) … this trip gave me a greaterappreciation of government and ournation’s values.

Karli Thompson (Middle Georgia EMC,Vienna) … it is such a great experience fora teenager, and is an awesome opportunity.

Alli Gainer (Satilla REMC, Alma) … thetour is truly an eye-opener!

Josh Porterfield (Walton EMC, Monroe) …the delegates learn priceless leadership les-sons and people skills.

Ocmulgee EMC’s Jessica NeSmithwants to obtain a degree in sports medicine or psychiatry.

Oconee EMC’s E.J. Sanders plans tostudy political science. He wants tobecome a JAG (Judge AdvocateGeneral) lawyer.

Tri-County EMC’s J.D. Felt’s goal is to attend medical school to become a urologist.

Washington EMC’s Rakyah Washing -ton aspires to major in criminal justice.

Left: From left, Breanna Smith (Upson EMC), DavidHenry (Southern Rivers), Cleve Cleveland (FlintEnergies) and Brandon Ware (Walton EMC) give a“live” broadcast at the Newseum. Above: A stop bythe White House provides a perfect picture moment.


34D GEORGIA MAGAZINEwww.georgiamagazine.org

PAST DELEGATES … Where they are now

Speaking up and standing out

Amanda Bennett

Amanda Bennett of Douglas saysthe Washington Youth Tour gave hera sense of renewed American pride.As a 2008 delegate from Satilla REMCin Alma, she says, “It allowed me tosee what our beautiful country standsfor and the steps taken to obtain thefreedom we have today.”

While on the WYT, Bennettlearn ed that her voice is essential. “Ino longer am afraid to speak up andstand out.” During the tour, she gavea speech at Arlington National Ceme -tery. “It was an honor to stand beforemy fellow delegates on such hal-lowed ground.”

Since then, Bennett has spoken atmany town meetings, encouragingcommunity leaders to take a stand.

Amanda was chosen by NationalRural Electric Cooperative Association(NRECA) as the 2008-2009 YouthLeadership Council National Spokes -person—only the third Georgian toattain this honor in the program’s 44-year history. In her role, she repre-sented Georgia’s EMCs and the youthof all U.S. electric co-ops as a speakerat the NRECA Annual Meeting in NewOrleans in February. She was alsointerviewed in March on the Georgia“Farm Monitor” TV show. Amandaalso traveled on this year’s WYT toparticipate as a Youth Tour nationalyouth staff member and speaker inthe Monday All-States Youth Day program.

Bennett, who works at FirstNational Bank of Coffee County, willstart school at South Georgia Collegeas a business and accounting major.

History,pride andcourage

Regina Holliday

In 2005, Altamaha EMC dele-gate Regina Holliday’s WashingtonYouth Tour adventure began as afun-filled week with friends fromall over Georgia, but it turned outto be much more than she expect-ed. “We learned so much aboutAmerican history, pride and thecourageous battles of men andwomen who fought to keep ourcountry free,” says Holliday.

At the Vietnam VeteransMemorial Wall, student delegateswere given the name of a fallenGeorgia soldier, and they traced itonto a piece of paper. “It was somoving … it was almost as if itwere someone who I was close to. One of our chaperones even leftin tears.”

When Holliday visited theTomb of the Unknown Soldier, shestood in awe of the guard whowas wholly committed to protect-ing the welfare and image ofsomeone he never knew. “Theytook such pride in what they didto protect those who defended ourcountry,” she says.

For 21-year-old Holliday, noth-ing compares to the feelings, emo-tions and memories she has of theWYT. The tour opened opportuni-ties beyond her dreams.

Regina now serves as the2008-2009 National FFA SouthernRegion vice president, and she willbe traveling 100,000 miles andspending 300 days on the roadrepresenting the National FFA.

From delegateto reporter

Adam Hammond

Adam Hammond, 24, of Maconhas always had an interest in poli-tics, in part, because his grandpar-ents served as public servants inlocal government. While on the2002 Washington Youth Tour as aWalton EMC delegate, he realizedthe important role governmentplayed in his daily life, and hecredits the tour with awakening adesire to make a difference in hiscommunity.

“The [tour] reaffirmed my inter-est in politics,” he says, “becausewhen you can attach experiencesyou have on the tour to things yousee on the news or in school, itmakes it even more relevant inyour life.”

Last year, after graduating fromGeorgia College & State Universityin Milledgeville, Hammond becamea news reporter for FOX24 News inMacon, and has had the opportuni-ty to interview both senators fromGeorgia—Isakson and Chambliss.During his first interview withChambliss, he reminded the senatorthat they had met when Hammondwas a WYT participant.

“It immediately gave us some-thing to talk about and establishedme in his mind as the boy he metat a luncheon seven years ago whonow chases him around trying toget a sound bite,” says Hammond.

Seven years after the WYT,Hammond is still reaping the bene-fits of being a delegate, and he’sgiving back to the community.

PAST DELEGATES … Where they are nowD

EVIS

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36 GEORGIA MAGAZINE

ou’ve lived your whole life in one place,and now, as you prepare to choose a college,

you’re ready for a change. But there’s a problem. College is expensive.

Travel is expensive. And maybe it would be nice,after all, to come home every once in a while … ifonly to do some laundry.

Lucky for you, you live in Georgia: a stateblessed with geographical diversity, a top-notch pub-lic college and university system, a myriad of privateschools and the HOPE Scholarship. You can have itall—a change in scenery and an excellent educa-tion—and you never have to leave the state.

Georgia boasts 101 accredited public and pri-vate universities and colleges, public technical col-leges, and special-purpose schools that are eligiblefor state-funded student aid. So you’re bound to findthe perfect fit.

Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find in every“corner” of the state—and in the middle, too.

college inevery cornerWant to see the world?

A

BY DEBORAH GEERING

You don’t have to go far.Find the educationalopportunities—andscenery—of your dreams,right here in Georgia.

• •

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College of Coastal Georgia students enjoy afringe benefit not found so close to mostcollege campuses: the beach.

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Berry College

36-45_mg_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:25 AM Page 36

In the mountains:

Berry CollegeNorth Georgia’s lit-

tle college with theworld’s largest campushas added a new twist toits nationally known, workexperience program. WithBerry’s new enterprisedevelopment program, stu-dents aren’t just guaranteedan on-campus job; theycan also launch or leadcampus businesses.

The first enterprisesinclude two beef compa-nies, a milk productioncompany, a bike rentaland repair shop, an onlinealumni store, a geneticscompany and an organicgarden.

Work has always been anessential component to an educa-tion at Berry, a college on 26,000acres near Rome with an enroll-ment of 1,800. Students whochoose to work at Berry—and near-ly all of them do—graduate withvaluable experience in addition totheir degrees.

“It’s opened so many doors andso many resources,” says organicgarden manager and senior Saman-tha Kellenberger, of Tampa, Fla. “I really want to work with theUSDA’s farmland conservation pro-gram, and there’s no better way toget my foot in the door.”

Enterprise participants can tapthe business skills of the new BerryEnterprises Student Team (BEST),which offers marketing, businessplanning, Web development,

human resources and financial con-sulting services. “Since my fresh-man year, I’ve wanted to leavesome type of legacy at Berry,” saysWeb designer and senior DavidReeves, of Atlanta. “I think that byhelping the BEST team get off theground, hopefully it’s a legacy thatwill stand for quite some time.”

The enterprise developmentprogram has struck a resoundingchord with students, faculty, staff,alumni and trustees because of itseconomic timeliness, says its direc-tor. “We’re hiring,” says W. RufusMassey Jr., assistant vice president ofenterprise development. “We guar-antee students a work position atBerry. And this layer on top of thework program has really taken off,simply because it gives students awonderful opportunity.”

37September 2009 www.georgiamagazine.org

North Georgia Technical College’s technicaland industrial programs prepare studentsfor a variety of occupations. Here, studentsapply the technical knowledge and skillsthey’ve learned to repair, install, service andmaintain the operating condition of heating,air-conditioning and refrigeration systems.

Outstanding in their fields: Enterprise Developmentparticipants visit Berry College’s new organic garden,started by Samantha Kellenberger, center. Also pictured,left to right, Erika Chester, David Reeves, ProgramDirector W. Rufus Massey Jr. and Tribb Robison.

Several colleges in the North Georgia mountains:• Berry College, Mount Berry, www.berry.edu• Covenant College, Lookout Mountain, www.covenant.edu• Dalton State College, Dalton, www.daltonstate.edu• North Georgia Technical College, Clarkesville, www.northgatech.edu • Young Harris College, Young Harris, www.yhc.edu

• •

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By the ocean:

College of Coastal GeorgiaThere’s been a sea change

at the College of CoastalGeorgia. On July 1, 2008, thepublic college changed namesand missions, from Coastal GeorgiaCommunity College. The college, partof the University System of Georgia,now grants baccalaureate degrees inbusiness administration and educa-tion (middle, elementary and special).Beginning in 2010 it will also offer anursing degree, and it continues tooffer bachelor’s and master’s degreeprograms in many other fieldsthrough a collaboration with Arm-strong Atlantic State University andGeorgia Southern University.

The change means that theCollege of Coastal Georgia, inBrunswick, is more attractive thanever. Some of its strongest sellingpoints: the lowest tuition in the state

($84 per credithour), a rela-tively low costof living forstudents seek-ing housing,classes taught

by professors instead ofteaching assistants, and anaverage class size of 23

students. And, hey, it’s theonly four-year college in

Georgia that’s on the beach.The transition also means an

exciting opportunity for students whowant to help shape the tone and cul-ture of the college.

“This group of students are part of that transformation,” says ValerieHepburn, president of CCG. “They’rethe ones who are deciding what theresidential halls are going to look like,what kind of athletic teams we want,what the mascot will look like.Through the 2015 freshman class,there’s going to be a steady stream ofopportunities for these young people.”

Randall Rozier, a sophomorefrom Screven with plans for pharma-cy school, is part of that group ofpioneers, organizing tailgate partiesand joining several student commit-tees. “It’s a great school, the faculty’sreal nice, very helpful, and the stu-dent body’s real fun to be around,”he says. “I’m ready for the campus-life stuff.”

Augusta

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Brunswick

College of Coastal Georgia Professor TrishRugaber instructs her biology class lakeside.

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Georgia colleges near the ocean:• Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, www.armstrong.edu• College of Coastal Georgia, Brunswick, www.ccga.edu• Savannah College of Art and Design, Savannah, www.scad.edu• Savannah State University, Savannah, www.savannahstate.edu

Augusta State University boastsan attractive campus in a citysetting.

In the city:

Augusta State UniversityIf you want to taste city life

during your college years, yourmany options extend even beyondthe multitude of Atlanta institutions.

“A lot of people do not knowthat we’re the second-oldest as wellas second-largest city in the state,”says Kathy Schofe about Augusta,home of Augusta State University.“It’s a city that is changing, and it’sreally exciting to watch.”

If you’re keeping score, that’ssecond oldest to Savannah, and sec-ond largest to Atlanta—but in thecenter of everything. “We’re just twohours from the beach, two hoursfrom the mountains and two hoursaway from the state capital,” says

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Schofe, director of public relationsfor the university.

Augusta State’s service-learningcomponent puts the city front andcenter in university life, Schofe says.“It’s part of the culture here. In soci-ology classes, for instance, they maydo work in a community center or ahomeless shelter. Marketing classeswill do marketing studies for non-profit agencies. We do things for thegovernmental agencies that they usein making their decisions.”

Many science majors chooseASU, whose total enrollment is about5,600, because of its strong ties to theMedical College of Georgia. “Biologyis our largest major. We’re strong inthe natural sciences and health sci-ences,” she says. “It’s a wonderfullocation for science careers.”

A few colleges in larger cities:• Augusta State University, Augusta,

www.aug.edu• Columbus State University, Columbus, www.

colstate.edu• Mercer University, Macon, www.mercer.edu• Oglethorpe University, Atlanta, www.ogle

thorpe.edu• Paine College, Augusta, www.paine.edu


Even with 45,000 square feet of new space on campus,

our most important building project is still our students.

www.lagrange.edu

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In the center:

Fort ValleyState University

Who wouldhave guessed that auniversity in Peach County offers anentry into the cutting-edge energyindustry?

But for a quarter of a century,Isaac Crumbly at Fort Valley StateUniversity (FVSU) in Fort Valley hasgrown his Cooperative Develop-mental Energy Program (CDEP),which recruits and prepares minori-ty and female scholars for energycareers as engineers, geoscientistsor health physicists. The programincorporates scholarships, intern-ships and summer programming,but the cornerstone is its dualdegree partnerships with GeorgiaTech, University of Nevada, Univer-sity of Oklahoma, Penn State

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Fort Valley

Students learn about energy companies atan Energy Career Day at Fort Valley StateUniversity.

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University, University of Texas-Austin, and University of Texas-PanAmerican. CDEP participants attendFVSU for three years and then trans-fer to a partnership school, graduat-ing with a B.S. in mathematics, biol-ogy or chemistry from FVSU and asecond degree in engineering, healthphysics, geology, geophysics orpetroleum engineering from thetransfer school.

Including summer programs foryounger students, Crumbly estimatesthat about 160 young scholars partic-ipate at any given time. The gradu-ates are snapped up by energyemployers all over the country,including major corporations such asBP, Chevron Corp. and Exxon MobilCorp. Georgia electric membershipcorporations have hired some, too.

“I guess most folks would neverhave dreamed this program wouldhave been at Fort Valley State,”Crumbly says. “It really has essential-ly made FVSU the gateway to acareer in energy. These kids are thecream of the crop.”

Away from the hustle and bustleof city life, but only 100 miles fromAtlanta, FVSU students get the bestof both worlds. “We are really rightin the heart of the peach belt, yetwe’re only an hour and a half from a ball game in Atlanta,” Crumblysays. “It’s really a nice place to live.”

As the state’s only 1890 land-grant university, the 3,000 studentsenrolled at the historically black uni-versity become part of its rich histo-ry and close-knit community. Recent improvements include a new stadi-um, seven apartment-style residencehalls and a state-of-the-art sciencebuilding.

osts are always a concern when it comes to college, but these days,value is more important than ever. Here are some tips and considerationsto get the most for your money:

For its availability and flexibility, HOPE is simply the best deal goingfor Georgia college students. At public institutions, the award coverstuition, fees and a book allowance. At private institutions, it pays up to$3,500 a year. To learn how to qualify and apply, visit the Georgia StudentFinance Commission Web site at gsfc.org.

Just say the phrase “financial aid,” and it’s hard to stop people’s eyesfrom glazing over. As dry and confusing as the subject can be, financialaid is essential for most college students. The Web site GAcollege411offers an excellent primer on financial aid, explaining the kinds of aidavailable, specific programs, how to determine your eligibility and how toapply. It will take about an hour to read it all, but when you’re done,you’ll be a financial aid pro. Go to gacollege411.org and select the Payingfor College tab.

You can save loads of money by crashing at your parents’ home …if they’ll let you. Many of Georgia’s colleges include a large number ofcommuter students, so you won’t be alone. But if residential life is rightfor you, you can still save a lot of travel expenses by staying in thestate—and never having to buy a plane ticket home.

A good compromise to living at home during college is to start athome and transfer later. The University System of Georgia makes it easyto do, too. Each institution within the system has developed a core cur-riculum of 60 semester hours. The core curriculum completed at one sys-tem institution is fully transferrable to another system institution within thesame major. So, you can start college at your nearby public communitycollege and then transfer after you’ve completed your first 60 hours.

Working through college is more popular than ever. According toInside Higher Ed, an online publication, nearly half of all full-time stu-dents and 80 percent of part-time students work, and those numbers areincreasing. Fortunately, colleges are keeping up with the times and arebecoming ever more accommodating to working students. Online classesand online-hybrid classes (where class is conducted partly online andpartly in the classroom) allow working students more flexibility. Many col-leges also incorporate work-study or community work into the educationexperience, absorbing employment as part of the campus culture.

Get the most for youreducation dollar

Keep your grades up; get a HOPE Scholarship

Become a financial aid expert

Consider living at or near home

Transfer

Get a job!

Some Central Georgia colleges:• Brewton-Parker College, Mount Vernon,

www.bpc.edu• Fort Valley State University, Fort Valley,

www.fvsu.edu• Macon State College, Macon, www.macon

state.edu• Wesleyan College, Macon, www.wesleyan

college.edu


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Forbes Hall on Thomas University’s campus is the former winter home of the Hon.Cameron Forbes, former governor general of the Philippines and ambassador to Japan.The building fits right in with the scenic charm of a Southwest Georgia plantation.

In the south:

Thomas UniversityTucked among the

rolling plantations ofSouthwest Georgia is thescenic campus of ThomasUniversity. Although the small, pri-vate school in Thomasville is just anhour’s drive west of Valdosta and anhour north of Tallahassee, Fla., itoffers a college experience that ismiles from those found at the largestate universities in these nearbycities.

With an enrollment of about900 and an average class size of 17,Thomas University provides individ-ual attention to students, in and outof the classroom. “We specialize in alot of care and attention to students,a lot of intervention when neces-sary, and nurturing,” says GaryBonvillian, president of ThomasUniversity since 2004. “In staff meet-

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These Thomas University graduates exempli-fy a recent study by the American EnterpriseInstitute that ranked Thomas University ashaving one of the best graduation ratesamong colleges of all sizes and categories inGeorgia.

ings, we actually talk about our students by name.”

This is not the place to go ifyou want to disappear into thewoodwork. The faculty and staff atThomas are determined to makesure students succeed. A flexiblecourse schedule featuring a mix oftraditional, online and hybrid class-es, and a campus culture of interac-tion between students, faculty andstaff members all contribute to theschool’s high student-retention rate.With a graduation rate of 70 per-cent, Thomas University ranks fifthamong all colleges and universitiesin Georgia.

Deborah Geering is a freelancewriter who lives in Decatur.

Some colleges in South Georgia:• Albany State University, Albany, www.asu

rams.edu• Thomas University, Thomasville, www.thom

asu.edu• Valdosta State University, Valdosta, www.

valdosta.edu

… And there are so many more! For a com-plete listing of Georgia’s colleges—privateand public, small and large, technical, two-year, four-year and beyond—go to www.gacollege411.org. Plus, for information on anew educational program in the field of elec-tric energy, see “Seeking a high-energycareer?” page 14.

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Sights and soundsThe Westobou Festival 2009 presents performing and visual excellence in the arts

BY STEPHANIE D. GREEN

rtist Lou Ann Zimmerman hasbeen busy working on a little

something. Zimmerman is a memberof the National Whiskey Painters

Association, an elite group ofpainters whose trademark can-vases span no larger than 4 inches by 6 inches, butwhose themes are boundless.Zimmerman’s latest effort will

be on display at this year’sWestobou Festival, which takes

place in Augusta Sept. 17-26. “Last year, I displayed a

cotton series, and I may do a littlemore of it again for this year,”Zimmerman says.

“I love to take a theme and seehow many different ways I candevelop it. It just keeps evolving,”she explains.

The Westobou Festival, namedafter the Westobou River now knownas the Savannah River, is a 10-dayevent that celebrates excellence inarts from local, regional and nationalperformers. The eclectic mix ofevents takes place in the heart ofdowntown Augusta and is sprawledthroughout neighboring historic ven-ues. Admission varies for each eventand can be purchased at the respec-tive sites.

Following a successful debut in2008, Westobou quickly garneredcomparisons to long-running festivalslike Spoleto, held each year inCharleston, S.C. Yet, Kathi Dimmock,executive director of the WestobouFestival, insists, “Westobou is going

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A wealth of artistic talent promises todraw crowds greater than last year’s inaugural Westobou Festival.R

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AugustaAugusta

The Westobou Festival, named after the Westobou

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event that celebrates excellence in arts from local,

regional and national performers.

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(Continued from page 46)to be Westobou. That’s why peoplewill come here, because it will beunique.”

“The Westobou Festival offersvisitors an opportunity to see per-formances that are appearing inGeorgia or the Southeast for the firsttime,” says Jennifer Bowen, vicepresident of public relations for theAugusta Convention and VisitorsBureau.

And in the words of Augusta’simmortal James Brown, it looks likethis year’s festival will start “on the

good foot” as notedbluegrass favoriteRhonda Vincent andthe Rage will kick thingsoff at the Imperial Theatreon opening night.

A string of highly antici-pated performances will followsuit, running the gamut from clas-sical to contemporary.

The American Ballet TheatreCo.’s ABT II will give a classical bal-let performance, while at the otherend of the spectrum, the Augusta

Where to stay • The Partridge Inn: The Partridge Innboasts a rich history of Augusta’s high societyevents such as parties, weddings and dinnershosted for presidents. The inn’s signaturerestaurant, the Verandah Grill, offers fine din-ing and live jazz. The hotel celebrates its richhistory and 100 years of service in January2010. www.partridgeinn.com.• The Augusta Marriott Hotel andSuites: Located in the heart of the downtownbusiness district on the banks of the SavannahRiver, the Augusta Marriott is close to shop-ping, entertainment and cultural attractions,as well as the Medical College of Georgia andthe Augusta National Golf Club. www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/agsmc-augusta-marriott-hotel-and-suites.

Hit the town• Surrey Center: Often referred to as “thespot,” Surrey Center is Augusta’s premiereshopping, dining and entertainment location,offering three levels of Augusta’s best restau-rants, shops and entertainment venues. www.surreycenter.com.

Arts and culture• First Fridays-Artists’ Row: Every FirstFriday of the month, downtown galleries, din-ers and boutiques open shop for the eveningfrom 5-10 p.m. and offer demonstrations,refreshments, gallery tours and entertain-ment. www.augustaartistsrow.com.• The Morris Museum of Art: Located onthe Riverwalk in downtown Augusta, The

• Broad Street Market: Whatever theoccasion, Broad Street Market allows for theperfect ambience, where diners can enjoyexquisite food, fine wine and superb company.broadstreet-market.com. • Bistro 491: Wonderful Southern French rustic cuisine is served at this elegant bistro.Beautiful flower arrangements, luxurious car-pets, long banquettes and unique lightinghighlight the simple, almost retro feel of thebistro. www.bistro491.com.• La Maison on Telfair: Located in a beau-tifully restored 1853 mansion in Augusta’squaint historical district, this fine dining fix-ture draws huge crowds and many localcelebrities. www.lamaisonontelfair.com.

Deals• Augusta Gallery pass: Use this one-priceticket for admission into eight Augusta attrac-tions, historic homes, gardens and museums.The $20 cost offers a 50-percent savings offregular adult admission prices. Attractionsinclude The Augusta Canal Interpretive Center,Augusta Museum of History, Ezekiel HarrisHouse, Lucy Craft Laney Museum of BlackHistory, Meadow Garden House Museum,Morris Museum of Art, National ScienceCenter’s Fort Discovery and The BoyhoodHome of Woodrow Wilson. www.augustaga.org/visitors/about-augusta/gallery-pass.

While in Augusta …


Ballet enthusiasts will enjoy the AmericanBallet Theatre Co.’s ABT II classical per-formances at this year’s Westobou Festival.

Morris Museum of Art is the first museum dedi-cated to the art and artists of the AmericanSouth. The collection includes holdings of nearly5,000 paintings, works on paper, photographsand sculptures dating from the late 18th centu-ry to the present. www.themorris.org.• Summerville: One of Augusta’s seven his-toric districts, Summerville began as a summerresort for wealthy Augustans. By the late1800s, wealthy Northerners flocked toSummerville to build grand mansions thatserved as winter homes. Summerville boastsimpressive examples of revival styles of archi-tecture—Greek, Gothic, Italianate, Spanishand Colonial, to name a few. www.summervilleaugusta.com.

Not to miss• James Brown exhibit in The AugustaMuseum of History: The James Brownexhibit features rare memorable and personalartifacts that vividly tell the story of theGodfather of Soul. An array of costumes, per-sonal artifacts, interviews with Brown, records,images of Brown and his children, and audio-visual stations, which highlight concert perform-ances, albums, studio recordings and more,exist in this must-see exhibit. www.augustamuseum.org.

Where to eat• The Bees Knees: Along with its quirkyname comes a quirky menu to match. A localfavorite, The Bees Knees is a Tapas restaurantthat takes its cuisines to all corners of theworld, from Thai to Spanish, Cajun toMediterranean and Japanese to French.www.beeskneestapas.com.

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Symphony veers far from tradition inVideo Games Live, an immersiveconcert event featuring music fromthe most popular video games of all time. The Symphony OrchestraAugusta, with chorus, will performalong with exclusive video footageand music arrangements, synchro-nized lighting, solo performers, elec-tronic percussionists, live action andunique interactive segments.

Kids who are regularly told to“stop making faces” can let looseand do just that with Clay Artists ofthe Southeast during the Kids Mak-ing Faces Workshop. The potterswill provide all materials and in-struction to help the children turn alump of clay into a unique work-of-art face mask.

Those who knew Langston


Hughes as a Renaissance poet andwriter will literally get to see anotherside of the author in the 12-part epicmontage “Ask Your Mama: 12 Moodsfor Jazz.” The multimedia presenta-tion links the words and music of

Hughes’ poetry to topical imagesincluding African-inspired muraldesigns and cubist geometries.

The sound of music will ringloud and clear as Elisabeth vonTrapp, granddaughter of the leg-endary Maria and Baron von Trapp,sings along with special guest ErichKory. Elisabeth’s grandparents’ lifestory inspired the renowned musical“The Sound of Music.”

“We strive to have a good bal-ance between local, regional andnational performances,” Dimmocksays.

Nearly just as interesting as whatand who visitors can expect to see iswhere the events will take place.

“Many of [the events] are held inintimate and historic theaters, addinganother level to the experience,”says Bowen.

The Sacred Heart CulturalCenter, for example, is an artisticmasterpiece listed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places and amust-see landmark. This year, it

serves as the venue for SilentMovie Night, featuring “TheGeneral.”

Popular Grammy Award-win-ning gospel group The Blind

Boys of Alabama will entertainaudiences with a rousing blend

of traditional and contemporarygospel music.

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The Video GamesLive concert eventcombines ener-getic lighting syn-chronized withthe music, liveaction and audi-ence-interactivesegments to cre-ate an electrifyingentertainmentexperience.

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One of the leading barbershop choruses in Georgia and theCarolinas, the Garden City Chorus from Augusta will perform.

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CALL 800.45.SELMAWWW.SELMAALABAMA.COM

Oct. 9-10 Tale Tellin’ Festival Be spellbound as master storytellers recount tales of historical events, ghosts, legends, fables and folklore.

Oct. 10 Riverfront Market Day Selma’s historic riverfront comes alive with the wares of artisans and vendors. See handmade pottery, quilts, dolls and more. Enjoy live entertainment.

Oct. 16-17 Haunted History Tour The past comes back to haunt you as you experience the ghosts of Selma’s centuries-old sites, cemeteries and stories.

Nov. 7 Kenan’s Mill Festival Spend a day in the country at a historic 1860’s grist mill enjoying family entertainment, food and more.

Fall for Selma

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Ray Charles Plaza

Flint RiverQuarium

Cypress Pond Aviary

Imagination Theater

Civil Rights Institute

The Parks At Chehaw

RiverFront Park

Albany Museum of Art

Thronateeska Heritage Center

Wetherbee Planetarium

VISIT THE NEWALBANY WELCOME CENTER

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Where history & nature flow.

Currahee Military Weekend Oct. 1-3 ‘09

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Located in a spacious historicbuilding on Artists Row, Gallery onthe Row features the works of adiverse group of local and regionalartists who create in a range of artforms, including watercolor, ceram-ics, photography, leaded glass andmosaic works.

For anyone who’s curious aboutwhat life was like for a future presi-dent, visit The Boyhood Home ofWoodrow Wilson, which now servesas a museum depicting the life of the28th president as a boy growing upin Georgia during the Civil War andReconstruction.

“There’s history and culture inAugusta that’s second to none,”Dimmock points out.

In the same spirit that Lou AnnZimmerman strives to grow and seeher work evolve, Dimmock longs tosee the Westobou Festival do thesame each year. But there is onething she certainly prefers not tochange. “We want visitors to leavewanting more and wondering whowe’re bringing in for next year,” she says.

Stephanie D. Green is a writerwho lives in Evans with her husbandand their five children.



The Arts in the Heart Festival (www.artsintheheart.com) is being held for its 29th yearin Augusta Sept. 18-20 as part of theWestobou Festival. Arts in the Heart fea-tures ethnic food and entertainment, finearts and crafts, a literary tent, children’sarea and more.This year’s festival includesShawn Mullins and Pat Blanchard in concert.

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Enjoy sun-drenched beaches, 216 holes of golf,

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Perry, GAGeorgia National Fairgrounds,

Georgia Building • www.peachcobblersale.org

Friday, Sept. 11 6:00 pm - 9:00 pmSupper and Hymn Sing

Saturday, Sept. 12Free Breakfast 8:30 am - 10:00 am

Friday, Sept. 11Live AuctionBegins at 7:00 pm

A sampling of featuredevents at the 2009Westobou Festival

• Southern Soul and Song Special:Rhonda Vincent and the Rage, Sept.17, 7:30 p.m., Imperial Theatre, $20.Performance by the bluegrass singer/instrumentalist and her band.• Making Faces, Sept. 17-26, Arts andHeritage Center, Municipal Center, $5for adults; $2 for children 12 and under.Clay Artists of the Southeast (CASE)present exhibition of Southern face jugs.• The Whiskey Painters of AmericaAnnual Exhibition, Sept. 17-26,Zimmerman Gallery, free. Invitationalshowcase of more than 100 originalwatercolor paintings.• Allen Organ Silent Movie Nightfeaturing “The General,” Sept. 18,7:30 p.m., Sacred Heart CulturalCenter, $12. Showing of the epic silentfilm “The General” with live music byorganist Ron Carter.• Langston Hughes’ “Ask YourMama:Twelve Moods for Jazz” fea-turing the Ron McCurdy Quartet,Sept. 24, 7 p.m., Paine College, Gilbert-Lambuth Memorial Chapel, $25 foradults; $15 for students and military.Homage to Langston Hughes in a multi-media montage.• Elisabeth von Trapp & Erich Koryin Concert, Sept. 24, 8 p.m., SaintPaul’s Episcopal Church, $15 generaladmission; under18 free. RiverwalkSeries presents the granddaughter ofthe legendary Maria and Baron vonTrapp along with cellist Erich Kory.• Video Games Live, Sept. 25, 7:30p.m., Bell Auditorium, $20-50 for seats,$1,200 for tables. Augusta SymphonyOrchestra presents immersive concertof most popular video game music.• ABT II, Sept. 26, 7 p.m., ImperialTheatre, $17-35. Performance by theAugusta Ballet.

More events can be found on theWestobou Festival Web site, www.westoboufestival.com.

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Travel Guide

ExploreGeorgia.orgFor more Georgia information visit:

Stomp Around

www.macongetaways.org800-768-3401

Stroll down historic boulevards and grab a bite to eat. Shop ‘til you dropin downtown boutiques. Stomp your

feet to an authentic native beat.

Ocmulgee Indian FestivalSeptember 19-20 2009

Register to win a weekend getaway at www.macongetaways.org.

To get free information on the destinations listed here,

AND qualify for the drawing, checkthe ones you’re interested in and

send this coupon to:GEORGIA Magazine, September ’09

Prize Drawing, P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085

� Albany CVB� Alpine Helen/White County� Babyland� Big Red Apple Festival, Cornelia, GA� Blue Ridge Scenic Railroad� Booth Western Art Museum� Calhoun/Gordon CVB� Classic South Region� Colquitt Miller Arts/Swamp Gravy� Columbus CVB� Currahee Military Museum� Fannin County Chamber of

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a getaway!� Panama City CVB� Peach Cobbler Quilt Sale� Ridges Resort, Hiawassee, GA� Selma Tourism� Tybee Island Tourism Council� Westobou Arts Festival,Augusta, GA

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46-55.ar_SW_0909 8/12/09 08:56 AM Page 55


blinked. And summer’snearly gone.

The days are still warm—sticky-hot like it can get in the thick of aSouth Georgia afternoon, wherepaper-thin layers of cool sweat blan-ket your arms and trickle down theback of your T-shirt. Mosquitoesmunch on your ankles and uncoveredknees.

Fuzzy peaches wait on the win-dow sill. Fresh, homegrown tomatoesslice up rich, red and cool—but notfor long. Fall will creep in soonenough.

I recall summers of another timein Plains when we breathed in everysecond of a pretty day, making play-houses in the dusty dirt, hosing offour bare feet by the back porch andhelping Daddy pull off his boots aftera long day at the peanut warehouse.

When the dishes were done,sometimes we’d walk on cool grasswith naked toes, but only until thesidewalk started, just down from ourneighbor’s house.

We’d pass the Plains BaptistChurch in its white wooden wonder,its dirt-swept yard and rainbow win-dows—where little oak chairs linedup for Sunday school.

We followed the sidewalk pasthouses bathed in soft, yellow lightand wispy cur-tains with win-dows proppedopen to catch abreeze.

I

I blinkedBY MANDY FLYNN

Does your community, civic or charity group have a cookbook for sale?

If so, send us a copy for possible review inGEORGIA Magazine. Include a brief descriptionof what your organization does, along with acontact person’s name, address, e-mail addressand phone number, to:

Cookbook Review, GEORGIA Magazine, P.O. Box 1707, Tucker, GA 30085-1707

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Mandy Carter (nowFlynn), right, andher cousin AmyCarter enjoy acarefree summerafternoon in Plainsplaying house in themid-1970s.

56-57_mg_SW_0909 8/11/09 08:11 AM Page 56

57September 2009

If you have a meaningful Georgia experience to share,see page 6 for submission information.

Screen doors creaked open—theuniversal small-town hello—andwe’d hear heavy footsteps on thewooden porch, a sigh as someonesettled into a rocker. Sometimes we’dstop to chat, maybe sit a spell.

Darkness washed in and we’dmove on.

My eyes shut tight, I’d pause onthe sidewalk. “Star light. Star bright.First star I see tonight.” Can’t tell, oryour wish won’t come true.

Bobwhites and frogs sang to thelightning bugs’ dance—tiny beaconsin a backdrop of honeysuckle.

We’d get to the corner and turnaround, our path leading back homepast houses with lights now dimmedand rocking chairs emptied, past thePlains Baptist Church with its tower-ing steeple to the place where pome-granates dotted the ground. Then thesidewalk ended.

Hands cupped, I’d carry my pre-cious find inside, get a jar fromunderneath the kitchen sink andpoke holes in the top.

My sister slept across the room.A fan whirred in the corner. Themoon dribbled through the windowacross my bedspread. Beside me satthe mayonnaise jar where my tendercatch glowed among fresh greengrass. Beyond the door, a Bravesgame crackled softly from my father’sradio. A perfect summer night.

Then I blinked, and it was gone.Thirty years later, I sit at home in

Albany, my daughter beside me, andthink of summers long ago. How fastthey faded.

Maybe tonight we’ll walk aftersupper and find a sidewalk to follow.We won’t step on cracks. We’ll holdhands and look up at the sky.

“Star light. Star bright. I wish Ididn’t have to blink tonight.”

Mandy Flynn works with theSouthwest Georgia Cancer Coalitionin Albany and is a freelance writer inher spare time.


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ant to put some monsters in yourgarden? No, we don’t mean the

kind of scary creatures that show upin late-night movies. We’re talkingabout monster-sized flowers, fruitsand vegetables. Lots of gardenersenjoy growing tomatoes as big andround as bowling balls; sunflowersthat reach for the sky; and pumpkinsso enormous, you could almost carvethem into coaches for Cinderella.

But you wonder why anybodywould want to grow gigantic produce.If you’ve been gardening for a while,you probably already know that manyvegetables, such as eggplants andsquash, become tough, and pass theirpeak of flavor when they remain on

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the vine or bush too long. Ifyou are raising food to eatfresh, or to can and freezefor later, you need to harvestyour fruits and vegetableswhile they are still tenderand flavorful. That usuallymeans picking them whilethey are fairly small.

But if you’re a gardenerwith a competitive streak,you aren’t worried abouteating your super-sizedbounty. Instead, you mayplan to enter your back-breaking pumpkin in a con-test, so you can take homea ribbon and a gardeningtitle. Or you may simplyenjoy seeing how far youcan take a flower seedlingor a backyard tomato.

Kolby LaGana, 6, has been help-ing his grandfather, Johnny OsborneSr., of Linton, raise big veggies in thegarden since he was 2 years old. “Thefirst couple of years,” says his aunt,Elaine Page, “he just played with hischild-size garden tools or toy tractoras his daddy [Johnny Osborne Jr.]worked in the garden.” Since then,he’s learned to help plant and gathertwo kinds of banana peppers, bellpeppers, tomatoes, watermelons andcucumbers.

One year, Kolby and his grandfa-ther, whom he calls “Pa,” raised acrop of sunflowers that towered overthem both. Although they gave themthe usual care in the garden, “theydid nothing special for them to bethat big and beautiful,” Page says.

One secret to anything big isstarting with the right seeds. LouiseWeyer, a program assistant for theCobb County Extension Service, says,“You need to buy special varieties” togrow the biggest and best. “There’s apumpkin in the Burpee catalog

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Kolby LaGana, and his “Pa,” grandfather Johnny OsborneSr., admire the towering sunflowers grown by Kolby’s dadin their garden. Kolby is the son of Denise LaGana andJohnny Osborne Jr., of Linton (Washington EMC).

‘Monsters’ in the gardenSecrets from Georgia growers

BY LYNN COULTER

www.georgiamagazine.org GEORGIA MAGAZINE

First-grader Logan Haddon was visitingwith her class from Pinewood ChristianAcademy when she found this giant pump-kin at Poppell Farms in Odum. Logan is thegranddaughter of Larry M.Thompson ofStatesboro and Colonel’s Island (ExcelsiorEMC and Coastal Electric Cooperative).

4-H pumpkin contest:Each year, the Georgia 4-H clubs run a pumpkin-growing contest

sponsored by the Georgia Fruit & Vegetable Growers Association. In2008, the first-place winner, an ‘Atlantic Giant’ pumpkin, came fromCarroll County and weighed an amazing 468.8 pounds. For informa-tion on the 4-H Pumpkin Growing Contest, which has an Oct. 1 entrydeadline, visit www.georgia4h.org/public/edops/nationalfair/pumpkincontest.

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called the ‘Prizewinner Hybrid’ that issaid to grow up to 300 pounds. Dill’s‘Atlantic Giant’ can grow to 1,000pounds.”

For whopper tomatoes, youmight try a variety called ‘Delicious.’According to the Web site www.organicgardening.com, that variety islisted in the 1986 Guinness Book ofWorld Records as the world’s heaviesttomato, weighing seven pounds, 12ounces. Tomato Growers Supply Co.of Fort Myers, Fla., has a wide selec-tion of many other tomato varietiesthat promise hefty results.

If you’d rather grow large blos-soms on flowering plants, such asmums and dahlias, again, you needto choose varieties that promise exhi-bition-size results. As the plants grow,remove most of the buds and shootswhen they appear. This will funnel allthe plant’s energy into developingone or two very large blooms.

Don’t be discouraged if your“garden monsters” don’t break anyworld records. As every gardenerknows, growing anything successful-ly requires a bit of luck, as well as

How to grow a ‘monster’• Remember, one key to growing any

large vegetable, fruit or flower is tostart with the right kind of seeds. Lookfor a variety that promises 10-foot-tallsunflowers, for example.

• Next, select a garden site that gets atleast six to eight hours of full sun eachday. Avoid soggy areas that don’t drain well.

• Before you plant, test the soil with a kitfrom a nursery or hardware store, orsend a soil sample to your countyextension service. For a small fee,they’ll analyze it and tell you how toimprove the soil with amendments orfertilizers. Be sure to indicate what youplan to grow.

• Till or hoe your garden area deeply,removing debris and rocks.Work in therecommended amendments.

• Plant your seeds or seedlings. Don’tovercrowd, as this can inhibit their sizeas they grow.

• Keep the garden watered and weededregularly.Too little water will also inhib-it growth, and weeds will compete withyour plants.

• Fertilize as recommended by your soilanalysis, or according to the directionson the fertilizer package. If you’re goingfor big fruits and vegetables, be awarethat using a mix containing more nitro-gen yields more foliage and smallerproduce. Fertilizers high in phosphoruswill encourage blooming and the for-mation of fruits.

• Keep an eye out for pests and diseases,so they don’t spoil your monsterresults!

Heads up! Harrison Turner, age 6, can’t resist“playing with his food” as he lifts a 4-poundzucchini overhead.The big veggie (actually animmature fruit, according to botanists) wasgrown by his aunt and uncle, Judy and HughAdams, of Elberton (Hart EMC).

hard work. You can enjoy yourwatermelons or dinner-plate dahliasno matter how big or small, and any-way—there’s always next year!

Douglasville resident Lynn Coul-ter is the author of “Gardening withHeirloom Seeds” and “Mustard Seeds:Thoughts on the Nature of God andFaith.”

Seed sources:

Dill’s ‘Atlantic Giant’ pumpkin seeds: www.howarddill.comBurpee seeds: www.burpee.comTomato Growers Supply Co.: www.tomatogrowers.com

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58-59.g_SW_0909 8/11/09 10:00 AM Page 59

program that offers hands-on training—somethingthe exclusively online pro-grams can’t offer—underthe supervision of a pro-fessional chef educator.

There are severalways to acquire the neces-sary professional trainingin Georgia. Executive Chefat The Shed at Glenwoodin Atlanta, Lance Gum-mere apprenticed the old-fashioned way with a chefin Colorado who paid hima pittance—enough to geta haircut, he says—and food andlodging for a couple of years whileteaching him how to cook. Gummereworries that today’s culinary students(and their parents) pay sky-highprices to get a culinary degree think-ing they’re going to land a high-pay-ing job, then find themselves doingline cooking for $12 an hour. It canbe a shock.

Another way of learning culinaryskills through internships is throughprograms sponsored by the AmericanCulinary Federation (ACF), the sameorganization that promulgates theCertified Executive Chef credential.Matt Holdon, chef/owner of SmokeRings in Hiawassee, came through anACF-accredited program that put himon his life’s course. His wife Jami is agraduate of the Culinary Institute ofAmerica in Hyde Park, N.Y., sobetween the two of them, theyembrace the major ways of becominga chef in this country.

“I had done some college,” hesays of his stint as a business major atWestern Carolina University. “But Ididn’t know what I wanted to do.”Having a college job cooking helped

60 GEORGIA MAGAZINE

push him toward becoming a culi-nary professional, so he worked withthe Hyatt Corp. and attended classesfor a three-year period.

Christopher McCook, CEC (Certi-fied Executive Chef), is a graduate ofthe Culinary Institute of America andan ACF program. Today, as executivechef at the Athens Country Club,McCook chairs the Classic City Chefsand Cooks Association, one of sevenACF Georgia chapters. In that capaci-ty, he has sponsored seven ACF can-didates at the club and has two in the pipeline.

How should a prospective culi-nary candidate pursue an ACF spon-sorship?

McCook advises that the candi-date first speak with the certificationchairman or someone on the chap-ter’s board. Consulting the ACF Website, www.acfchefs.org, is an appro-priate first step, as Georgia’s chapterscover the state. The basic programwill take from two-and-a-half to threeyears, he says, depending on theindividual.

Costs vary too, but typically, thechapters assist with expenses and the


Cook like a proCulinary learning opportunities in Georgia

BY JANE F. GARVEY

ver dreamed of becoming a pro-fessional chef? Want to own your

own restaurant? Learning to cook professionally is

different from taking occasional class-es on how to make sauces or how towork with chocolate. Professionalculinary training involves businessissues—how to manage a restau-rant—plus nutrition, portion and costcontrol, sanitation, beverage andrestaurant service.

Without a clear understanding ofall those components, anyone con-templating life as a professionalchef—never mind chef/owner—isoperating with less than a full deck.So look for a professional culinary

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Students at the International CulinarySchool at the Art Institute of Atlanta prac-tice their piping and plating skills.

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Beginning in 2010, students at the College of CoastalGeorgia in Brunswick can earn an associate arts degree intheir American Culinary Federation-accredited program.

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September 2009

company with which the candidatewill work picks up some of the costs.While compensations will vary, counton earning about $8 to $9 an hour(typical line-cook compensation)while working as a spud peeler anda suds buster. The student commits tothat property for the time they’re inthe program, adds McCook.

At least one of the ACF chaptersworks hand in glove with the culinaryprograms offered at Georgia’s techni-cal colleges, most of which offer var-ious certificate and diploma pro-grams. Through his affiliation withMiddle Georgia Technical College,James Basting, chapter chair of theMiddle Georgia ACF, teaches profes-sional culinary courses at PulaskiState Prison in Hawkinsville, a femaleand juvenile facility where he men-tors some dozen inmates in the pro-gram. He’s particularly proud of hisefforts with this population, andreports that one alumna today man-ages a restaurant in South Georgia.

Of Georgia’s 28 technical col-leges—there are mergers currentlytaking place that will alter this num-ber—11 offer certificate, diplomaand/or two-year degree programs inculinary. At Valdosta Technical Col-lege, perhaps the newest program inthe lineup, Amory Basford recentlybecame culinary arts program coordi-nator and food service director. Agraduate of the culinary program atthe Art Institute of Atlanta, Basfordhad his own gourmet pizzeria inSanta Rosa Beach, Fla., and wasexecutive chef at Max Lager’s in

Atlanta. He’s most proud of the newkitchen that has just been installed intime for the new academic year.

Operating under the auspices ofthe Board of Regents, two four-yearcolleges—the College of CoastalGeorgia (formerly two-year CoastalGeorgia Community College) andClayton State College and Univer-sity—offer culinary education. AtCoastal, the ACF-accredited programis transitioning from certificate-grant-ing to a program leading to an asso-ciate arts degree, which will beginJanuary 2010, according to directorWalter Wright. Sea Island relies onCoastal for training its interns, Wrightpoints out. Clayton State has a non-certificate-granting continuing educa-tion program housed at the school’sNorth Fulton campus.

One alumna of Coastal’s programwhile it was a community college,Jackie Grantham, a native of Jack-sonville, Fla., says culinary traininghas given her a whole new life. Themother of three children, two ofwhom are grown, Grantham “never

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even set foot in a high school,” shesays. Today, having earned her GEDand armed with her preparation inculinary from Coastal, she serves ashead chef at the Oak Grove IslandGolf & Country Club in Brunswick. “I started the program, and sixmonths into it, I was offered this posi-tion,” she says.

In addition to these, Georgiafields two blue-ribbon colleges devot-ed to professional culinary prepara-tion. The program that Valdosta’sBasford completed at the Art Instituteof Atlanta is the International CulinarySchool program, which offers notonly associate of arts two-year pro-grams but also full 12-quarter bache-lor of science degrees in culinary artsmanagement and wine and beveragemanagement.

Program director now is JimGallivan, a former resort and hotelchef who arrived to head up theschool in July 2008. Running thedemonstration restaurant at Interna-tional is Justin Ward, a well-knownlongtime Atlanta chef.

Culinary students at the Atlanta campus of Le Cordon Bleu balance time between hands-on work in the kitchen and hitting the books for their foundation courses, studying foodscience, nutrition and food safety, among other industry topics.

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The 535 students currently en-rolled at International have access to a state-of-the-art facility with fiveteaching kitchens and a dining labthat’s open to the public. All students,even those majoring in pastry ormanagement, work in the restaurantto get an understanding of running arestaurant.

Students currently pay $453 percredit hour, with a likely increase thisfall. At its current rate, one shells out$21,744 annually. But the staff isexceptionally credentialed. Interna-tional gets special recognition fromthe American Culinary FederationEducation Foundation AccreditingCommission.

Gallivan admits he was “astound-ed” by the faculty’s ability. “Every-body here has done it all,” he says,adding: “There are gold medals allover the place,” referring to theOlympic-style competition awardsthat faculty members have won.Hope Scholarships and VA eligibilitymay be applied.

Also well known, Le CordonBleu of Atlanta attracts a wide rangeof students to its 60,000-square-footfacility in Tucker. Demo kitchens,with their ample fenestration allow-

ing an open view from the lobby, arebusy early in the morning as chefs-in-training work on their fundamentals.

“We’ve got people from 18 to65,” says Hong Kong-born PatrickLee, president of the Atlanta campus,which boasts a faculty of some 42individuals, including some adjuncts.

“Some [students] abandon lucra-tive careers to get into the business,”he notes, although sometimes withstarry-eyed expectations of compen-sation that won’t match their formercareers. “Some don’t care; it’s just apassion. Period.” Their enrollment isaround 750 currently.

Everybody starts with threefoundation courses. Foundation I isfood science, nutrition, college suc-cess (how to be successful in class,study habits, etc.) and food safety.Foundation II includes math andcomputers. Foundation III is inter-personal communication, cost con-trol and purchasing. Along the way,students get a good dose of Englishcomposition, study cuisine acrosscultures, culinary history, contempo-rary cuisine, hospitality supervision,and wine and beverage. A new pro-gram starts every six weeks.

The program currently costs

$3,650 for the entire experience,which finishes in the school’s labrestaurant. At this point, the studentis getting exposure to all aspects ofrestaurant management, from tableservice to napkin folding.

As Georgia grows more andmore first-class restaurants, increasedopportunities for employment andfor growing one’s own business inthe culinary field present themselves.But the background gained also leadsto possibilities in wine sales, hoteland resort management, and even toservice as a private chef for a family.While the economy is lumbering, it’s nonetheless amazing how manyrestaurants are opening not only inAtlanta but around the state. Theseprograms will supply well-trainedpersonnel for a long time to come.

Jane F. Garvey is a food and trav-el writer based in Decatur.

A graduate of Coastal GeorgiaCommunity College (now the four-year College of Coastal Georgia),Jackie Grantham, CC, recommendsthese frites as an appetizer. This re-cipe won her a second-place awardat the Idaho Potato Commission’s“Happy Hour” competition.

Professional culinary programs, such as the one at the Inter-national Culinary School at the Art Institute of Atlanta, teach students all aspects of restaurant management.

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Students find that one perk of attending college at the College ofCoastal Georgia is the school’s proximity to the beach.

Look for a professional culinary programthat offers hands-on training under the

supervision of a professional chef educator.

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BBQ Chicken FritesCourtesy of Jackie Grantham, CC,head chef at Oak Grove Island Golf &Country ClubOil, for frying3 large Idaho potatoes, washed and

cut into thin stripsBarbecue Chicken Sauce Roasted chicken breast, shredded2 cups good quality ketchup1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce2 tablespoons Liquid Smoke2 tablespoons quality prepared

mustard 2 teaspoons black pepper1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon granulated garlic Caramelized Red Onions2 tablespoons unsalted butter2 tablespoons quality olive oil 1 large red onion, thinly sliced2 tablespoons good white wine 1 to 1-1/2 cups shredded mozzarella

cheese1 tablespoons fresh parsley for garnish

In a deep fryer, heat oil to 325degrees; fry potatoes in oil 2-3 min-utes. Drain on a brown bag, then drainon paper towel; set aside to cool.

Prepare sauce by placing in asmall saucepot set over low heat theshredded chicken, ketchup, cidervinegar, brown sugar, Worcestershiresauce, Liquid Smoke, mustard, blackpepper, cayenne and granulated gar-lic. Simmer over very low heat.

For onions, heat butter and oil ina sauté pan set over medium heat;sauté onions about 10 minutes todevelop a rich brown color. Addwine, and deglaze stirring in the pan,cooking an additional 20 minutes, oruntil dry.

When ready to serve, raise tem-perature on oil to 375 degrees. Re-frypotatoes until golden brown, anddrain on paper towel. Place potatoeson a large oven-safe platter and ladlebarbecue sauce on top. Top withcaramelized onions, then cheese;place under broiler 2 minutes socheese melts and begins to brown.Sprinkle with minced parsley. (Continued on page 64)

Note: you will not use all thesauce in a single plating, but you willuse all the chicken. So reserve anyextra sauce for another use in a tight-ly sealed glass jar in the refrigerator.Serves 2-4.

Cammie, Chef Jim Gallivan’sdog, loves these treats in hot sum-mer weather. They’re people-friend-ly as well.

Cammie’s Pup-siclesCourtesy of Jim Gallivan, chair of theDepartment of Culinary Arts, TheInternational Culinary Schools atThe Art Institutes3 cups plain yogurt1 ripe banana1 cup smooth peanut butter (Cammie

prefers Reese’s, he notes)1 tablespoon honey

Purée yogurt, banana, peanutbutter and honey until smooth. Pourinto ice cube trays and freeze. Popone out and reward your best caninefriend.

This is a traditional Moroccandish, named for the covered conicalclay earthenware dish it is usuallycooked in. It may be made with lamb,chicken or other meat, and is a com-bination of sweet and sour flavors.

Tangine of Chicken, PreservedLemon and OlivesCourtesy of Michael F. Nenes, CEC,CCE, The International CulinarySchools at The Art InstitutesSpice Rub1 tablespoon minced garlic1 tablespoon olive oil1 teaspoon black pepperMain Dish1 (2-1/2-pound) chicken, cut into

8 pieces2 tablespoons olive oil1/4 teaspoon black pepper1/4 teaspoon ground gingerPinch saffron1 teaspoon ground cumin1 stick cinnamon1 teaspoon ground coriander1-1/4 cups diced onion2 cups chicken stock1 cup whole pitted green olives

1/2 cup preserved lemons, quarteredstrips (rinse lemons as needed,removing and discarding pulp)

Salt and pepper, to taste2 cups cooked couscous, as an accom-

panimentCombine minced garlic, olive oil

and black pepper for the Spice Rub.Rub chicken with mixture and let set2 hours.

Heat oil over medium heat andbrown chicken on all sides, 8-10 min-utes. Add pepper, ginger, saffron,cumin, cinnamon and coriander; cook1 minute. Add onion and sauté overmedium-high heat, 2-3 minutes. Addstock and bring to a boil; reduce to asimmer and cover, leaving lid ajar toallow steam to escape. Simmer 20-30minutes or until chicken is tender.

Add olives and preserved lemons;cook 5 minutes. Remove chicken andreduce to sauce consistency, stirring.Correct seasoning with salt and pep-per. Serve chicken covered with sauceon couscous. Note: Preserved lemonsmay be found at stores specializing inMiddle Eastern foods. Serves 4.

These kebabs are perfect for atailgating party. Serve with warm pitabread, assorted olives, choppedtomatoes, and feta cheese for a tastysandwich.

Spicy Beef and Sausage KebabsWith Yogurt DressingCybil Talley, founder of All AboutFoods; director of Career Services atLe Cordon Bleu College of CulinaryArts AtlantaYogurt Dressing1/2 cup plain yogurt1/2 cup sour cream2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro1 tablespoon minced purple onion1/4 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice Kebabs20 (4-inch) wooden skewers1 pound ground chuck1/2 pound ground spicy pork sausage1/2 small onion, minced1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley1 teaspoon ground coriander

60-61.c_SW_0909 8/12/09 03:31 PM Page 63

1 teaspoon salt1 teaspoon black pepper3/4 teaspoon ground cumin1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper1/4 teaspoon curry powder1 large egg, lightly beaten

Prepare dressing by stirringyogurt, sour cream, cilantro, purpleonion, salt and lemon juice untilcombined. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Soak wooden skewers in waterfor about 20 minutes to prevent themfrom burning. Stir together groundchuck and remaining ingredients justuntil well blended. Don’t overworkthe meat or it will become tough.Shape about 3 tablespoons of meatmixture evenly around each skewer,forming oval-shaped kebabs. Arrangekebabs on a broiler pan that has beencoated with vegetable cooking spray.Broil for 6-8 minutes or untilbrowned. Serve with Yogurt Dressing.Makes 20 kebabs and about 1 cupdressing.

This Southwestern salad is simpleyet flavorful.

Southwestern Sunset Avocado and Tomato SaladCourtesy of Jim Basting, CCE, Hou-ston County’s High School CulinaryTeam mentor, Middle Georgia ACF chapter chair 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pit removed,

diced large3 medium fresh red tomatoes, peeled,

cut into large dice1/2 cup finely diced red onion 1 (11-ounce) can Southwestern whole

kernel corn blend, drained1 head red leaf lettuce, washed, dried Cooked meat of choice (such as leftover

grilled chicken breast, diced, or left-over cooked salmon, tuna, lobster,shrimp)

Salad dressing, your choiceIn a large bowl, toss together

avocado, tomato, onion and corn.Refrigerate until ready to serve. Whenready to serve, spoon onto lettuceleaves. Place meat on top, and drizzlewith your favorite salad dressing.Serves 4.


GEORGIA MAGAZINE

G E O R G I A

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64-65 mp_SW_0909 8/12/09 02:44 PM Page 65

6

At age 5, Chris Helton’s first summerjob is picking sweet corn with his par-ents Billy and Natasha Helton ofWarthen (Washington EMC).

Madison Aycock is amazed at thisbowl of fresh vegetables. She is thedaughter of Laura Aycock of LithiaSprings (GreyStone Power Corp. andNorth Georgia EMC).

Harvestime BY ANDREW WIDENER

Future issues’ themes and deadlines:November 2009—“Fall’s majesty,” due Sept. 1, 2009December 2009—“Christmas critters, due Oct. 1, 2009January 2010—“My favorite photo,” due Nov. 2, 2009

Please see submission information on page 6.

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4 Cousins Kooper Briley and Parkerand Dawson Sorrells, clockwise fromtop, enjoy the summertime at thehome of their grandparents,Wallaceand Geraldine Briley, of Martin (Hart EMC).

Three-year-old Colby Collins picksblueberries on the Lochner Farm inFort Valley. He is the son of AmyCollins and grandson of George andTina Collins of Perry (Flint Energies).

Emily, at top, and Haley Callahan get alift from Dad to see their 12-foot-talltomato plant. Their parents areHayden and Carey Callahan ofMarietta (Cobb EMC).

Kylee Jean Gravitt plays in UncleBenn’s cotton field. She is the daugh-ter of Clint and Carly Gravitt ofAshburn (Irwin EMC).

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66_snapshot_SW_0909 8/11/09 10:02 AM Page 66

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GEORGIA Magazine September 2009 issue

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